BETRAYED
by subtleshadeofgrey
Summary: McGee makes an error in judgement but it is the decision he takes afterwards that alters the lives of the whole team, especially Tony. Not for fans of McGee. Papa Gibbs, Hurt!Tony.
1. Chapter 1

BETRAYED

An NCIS fanfic

Disclaimer - In my dreams I own Tony but in reality I just own some DVDs.

A/N This is not a death fic; it contains no squickiness but it does require a warning for one rather important and probably very unpopular element so please read this WARNING: This fic is NOT McGee friendly. Also a minor WARNING: This will feature a disabled Tony and his road to rehabilitation (yes it's one of THOSE fics :)

Oops there go the readers… bye ya'll! Anybody left? Well if you are still there please let me explain. As a writer (I have written in other fandoms but this is my first NCIS) I like my tension to come from within the cast rather than by creating an OC if possible. Couple this fact with my liking McGee the least of the main characters and voila! Now don't get me wrong he's a very important part of the team in the series, but he's just never clicked with me which makes it easier for me to write him as far less than perfect. (I'm not demonizing him or making him evil in any way, I'm just enhancing his natural flaws as I see them, and all the characters have flaws - even Tony. A flawed character is a more interesting character) so please don't flame me over my treatment of Tim. The only thing that can put me off writing the story is cruelty. I'm fully prepared for a lack of reviews and never hold my fics ransom to them... but I'm only human and cruel comments hurt so please don't. Constructive criticism is welcomed however. There's room for all sorts of fics in fanfic world.

Also this fic isn't a casefic and it's not meant to adhere to canon although certain key elements will be there as will the odd spoiler. It's basically a hurt/ comfort, family, papa Gibbs, hurt Tony thing (no slash or shipping for this fic though). So if my thing is your thing then read on. I have researched the injuries I inflict on poor Tony as best I can but may have taken some liberties for the sake of the story and I keep medical details as general as possible mainly because of transatlantic differences (I'm a Brit). , especially anything that improves my Americanization (except for spelling because it screws up the spellchecker) but I never hold my fics ransom to reviews. So anyway on to the summary because there is a story down there somewhere.

Summary: McGee is frustrated. He has the support of Director Vance and his computer skills are without question the best but he can't seem to prove to Gibbs that he is as good an agent as Tony, a better agent even. A new kind of agent for a modern world. But when he screws up and it all goes horribly wrong he makes a decision that will affect all their lives…

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"DiNozzo!"

"Yes Boss!" Tony's head shot up from his intense concentration on the computer screen in front of him just as he dropped the next block into place in his tetris wall.

"You're on surveillance detail; take McGee."

"Sure Boss" Tony grabbed his backpack and snuck out a finger to close down the game. He moved forward a few steps and then stopped dead. Gibbs waited with a patience developed over long association and an expectant raised eyebrow. He didn't have to wait long.

"Umm, who are we surveyi.. Surveil.. Er, watching?" Tony was pleased to see the corner of Gibbs mouth twitch upwards even though the former marine managed to hold back his smile.

"Robert Allington."

"The computer geek Ziva interviewed? The one who almost wet himself when she asked him to confirm his name and date of birth? So I was right, he WAS involved in Petty Officer Adams murder… although I can't see him pulling the trigger… what have we got on him? Do you think I should stop and pick up a thicker coat? The last pool car we drew had no heating and it's at least ten below out there… we could be heading for a monumental freeze like in 'The Day After Tomorrow' with Dennis Quaid, directed, written and produced by Roland Emmerich, the guy who directed Independence Day... "

"DiNozzo!"

"Yes Boss?"

Gibbs didn't throttle his lead agent even though it would have the desired result of shutting him up. That wasn't to say that he wasn't tempted but he could only kill his pain in the ass protege once and it wasn't worth the paperwork… that's what he told himself anyway. And he HAD been right; both he and Ziva had declared something hinky about the mild mannered computer programmer. Well if he remembered rightly Ziva had declared something dinky but she was soon corrected. Realising that his thoughts were running away with him as though DiNozzo's ramblings were contagious he merely sighed and nodded before adding, as he watched with bemusement a hurrying McGee pack just about every known gadget into his own pack,

"Abby tracked down the residue left on Adam's computer, it's a prescription only cream for acne which Allington suffers from and McGee uncovered three unexplainable cash deposits in his account. It doesn't connect him directly to the murder but it's all we've got. And we won't have that if you don't move your ass. If he's in regular contact with our killer we need to know"

"Got it Boss. C'mon McTardy what're you waiting for; we have bad guys to watch… for hours and hours… on a Friday night… in the freezing cold. They better have a decent car for us this time or we'll be taking refuge in the library and burning the books" he added another Day After movie reference ... and we'll be starting with a certain Thom E Gemcity…." He smirked as McGee winced at the reference to his pen name and his smile turned a little feral as he mused on what fun he could have if they ever turned the book he had written into a movie... except that to do that he would have to watch it. His smile faded and he shuddered at the thought... while he hadn't been bothered that McGee had written a novel, all power to him for having the guts, he had been a little hurt that his friend had used thinly disguised versions of him and the others as characters... friends didn't exploit each other like that. He shrugged the feeling off; it was all water under the bridge and Tony didn't hold grudges because friends didn't do that either and if there was one thing that he was not it was a hypocrite.

Tim McGee gulped in trepidation at the feral smile that flittered across the other agents face. It was going to be bad enough being cooped up in a car with the hyperactive overgrown schoolboy without him getting all creative.

Gibbs shook his head with fond exasperation as a moaning DiNozzo and a less than happy McGee headed toward the elevator. He frowned at McGee's hangdog expression; the man had been subdued for the last several days but he quickly dismissed his gut's uneasiness as his trilling phone captured his attention. He'd probably look a little sorry for himself if he had to sit in a car with DiNozzo for hours too.

N*C*I*S

"I'm going to get some coffee" McGee announced, "you want anything?" Tony nodded his assent without breaking his dashboard tapping accompaniment to the music on the radio.

"A coffee?" McGee enquired and received another affirmative nod.

McGee left the car, shutting the door with a not quite slam and pulling his overcoat tighter against the cold and driving rain. Normally Tim would have prepared a thermos and a sandwich but they had left in too much of a hurry. Besides, he was glad of an excuse to get away from his partner for five minutes even if it did mean getting wet. A confined Tony was not a happy Tony and a bored and confined Tony was a living nightmare. And after two full renditions of Frank Sinatra's My Way; a scene by scene comparative analysis of the original and remake versions of War of the Worlds and a blow by blow accounting of his last college football appearance... again, McGee was on the verge of insanity. He moved away from the car to the nearby Starbucks, ensuring that he kept out of sight of their target who was blissfully occupied in his office number crunching in peace and quiet... McGee mused that he had never envied a suspect before... Sometimes he was sure that Tony acted up just to annoy him, as though it were his mission in life to make his existence hell.

Tony stopped drumming the constant beat of the rock music station he had tuned to as McGee left the car on his coffee run.

Mission accomplished! And the probie had lasted... Tony checked the clock on the dashboard... nearly thirty minutes longer than last time. He wondered when the computer genius would realise that he was being tested. It was important to be able to maintain constant surveillance under distraction and the whizz kid was too easily distracted. One little beep from one of his gadgets and his eye left the ball. It was his responsibility as senior field agent to correct that sort of tendency. It could make the difference between catching and losing the suspect, between living and dying. And if he could have some fun while doing it then all the better.

He sighed and squirmed in the passenger seat in an attempt to make the cramped and over heated car more comfortable... having a car with no heating was bad enough but having one where you couldn't turn the heating down was even worse. But at no point did he take his gaze off of the office across the street. He hadn't since they had arrived, no matter how preoccupied he had seemed. He just wished that McGee wouldn't keep giving him those superior looks, looks that he didn't have to witness to know that they were there; looks that were more often than not accompanied by dismissive words and vicious little put downs these days. Oh he could take a ribbing with the best of them, after all if you dished it out you had to be prepared to take it, but his teasing was always balanced with a 'good job' or a 'well done McGee, or more often McGoo' or 'McProbie'.

It was tough being 'different' he knew that from his own past but he had learned to toughen up the hard way and he didn't want that for Tim. His own method of that process had enabled the computer genius to get through his probationary period without too much flak from his colleagues, some of whom were just plain jealous of his position on Gibb's team... the golden team. He wondered if McGee knew just how much resentment there had been when he had been plucked from the computer division straight onto major crimes. A resentment that the others, especially Gibbs, had protected him from. That combined with the younger agents own mild manner had avoided the sort of hazing he, himself, had been subjected to in his early cop days... although some might have called it bullying. But he didn't, after all he had been bullied by an expert; nobody could ever make him feel as bad as his father had. But still, that didn't mean that he was impervious to harsh words. Just because he didn't show it...

Tony recalled the snide remarks his partner had made yesterday about his lack of computer savvy - to Vance himself no less. Of course he had been preaching to the choir there; Vance held no love for old fashioned cops in general and agents named Tony DiNozzo in particular, hence the agent afloat position. But McGee's 'Tony's only idea of a data base is the collection of phone numbers in his little black book' had hurt him, which went to show that eavesdroppers never hear good of themselves he thought wryly. No, it was the confidence in the voice, his ease around his superior... that shared smugness that he had heard all his life from people like his father. McGee's ego was inflating by leaps and bounds and his only method of deflating it was blocked by the sure and certain knowledge that 'McTeacher's pet' would go running straight to Vance - and that would cause trouble between Tim and Gibbs which in turn would hurt the team.

Tony sighed once again as he realised that to protect the integrity of the team he would just have to suck it up; well there was nothing new there; since all the business with Jenny and his undercover assignment he had been, if not the black sheep of the 'family' then at least a rather off white one. But things were starting to even out, Gibbs was head slapping him again and Ziva was threatening to disembowel him with a paperclip on a regular basis. He wasn't going to risk all that normality to teach McGee what he already should have learned - where his loyalties lay... with Gibbs, not Vance.

Tony suddenly sat up straighter and pulled his long range camera to his eye as their target came out of his office, cell phone clamped to his ear, gesticulating wildly as he argued with the person on the other end. Tony reached forward with his free hand to phone Abby and see if she could get anything off of the suspect's cell but before he could complete the move Allington broke off and made a dash for his car. Tony reached for the door handle to move round to the driver's side in preparation to follow but didn't get to complete that move either. He was interrupted by the simultaneous screech of tires on roadway and the opening of the drivers side door.

McGee looked agitatedly at his watch once again. The queue had been longer than he had thought and while he was glad to be free of Tony's inane drivel for five minutes he didn't want to give the senior agent a reason to rebuke him. Not because he feared the discipline of Gibb's lead agent - that was laughable. It might have been true when he was a wet behind the ears rookie but HE was the better agent now. No, McGee admitted to himself as he placed his order, the real problem was that he didn't have any respect for that seniority any more. How could he? He had been given a taste of authority, of power, during his short stint in cyber crimes and he had handled it well and felt at ease with the responsibility.

Tony had seemed like a hero when he had first joined the team, but with experience and time had come the conviction that Tony, while good, brilliant even, in an old fashioned police officer sort of a way, was a joke in the modern world. An affable, luckier than a field full of leprechauns, joke. He knew it, Vance knew it and he was sure that Tony himself knew it too. The only one who didn't seem to have a clue was Gibbs... and possibly Ducky, but then the old M.E was exactly that, old, and his judgement probably wasn't what it once was... He had been discussing just that issue with Leon the other morning as it happened - McGee's chest puffed out a little with pride at the honour Vance had accorded him with his 'call me Leon', although not on duty of course! - and the Director had agreed with him that NCIS needed pulling into the twenty first century and had promised him in a rather exciting cryptic manner that things were a-changing in the world of NCIS.

McGee left the shop with his bag of muffins and his two coffees - one black and strong like Gibbs preferred and a taste that he was trying to get used to - didn't hurt to have things in common with your boss, the team leader might loathe in-house politics but he was just as susceptible to it in a subtle way. And if he wanted his boss to see him as more than just a probie it was that or take to building boats in his basement... and he didn't have a basement. The other beverage contained coffee laced with cream and hazelnut syrup... yuk! ... He then promptly dropped them on the sidewalk, not noticing the hot liquid splashing his expensive Italian leather gloves - a present from Tony last Christmas - as he spotted their suspect outside the building arguing on his phone. Why hadn't Tony called him?

"Damn!" he muttered as his actions drew the attention of Allington who looked him straight in the eye before paling and dashing toward his car. McGee hurried the few steps to their own vehicle and threw himself into the driver's seat ignoring Tony's queries as to what had happened and the order to let him drive. Was Tony crazy! They didn't have time to switch seats! the suspect was getting away!

Tony just had time to fasten his seat belt before McGee set off after Allington. He still didn't have a clue what had happened but Tim must have seen something that he hadn't and he trusted his partner so he shut up and let the man concentrate on his driving... until they neared the city limits and Allington put on a burst of speed.

"Okay probie time to back off... this isn't one of the FBI's most wanted and we're endangering the public here!" Tony winced as McGee swerved nearly sideswiping a parked car. The cold rain was pouring down in a torrent which obscured the view through the windscreen, even with the wipers working at full force. The tail lights of Allington's car, a car with tons more horsepower than their own offering, were fuzzy colored puddles in the deluge and they indicated that the suspect was pulling even further away.

"Slow down Tim! That's an order!"

Tony wasn't surprised that his partner ignored his order, he had been dong that quite often lately. But he was surprised when the normally cautious, if not timid, agent put on an extra spurt of speed instead.

Tony opened his mouth to reprimand his probie but all that escaped was a strangled gasped expletive as the vehicle suddenly skidded out of control. He saw the desperate attempt of gloved hands trying to bring the steering wheel back under control out of the corner of his eye and heard the whispered "Oh God!" as the spin intensified but his main focus was on the wooden barrier which should have been to the side of them but was now directly ahead. It was no barrier at all to the power of a speeding car and the drop beyond it while not of cliff face proportions was potentially just as lethal. He instinctively gripped onto the dashboard to brace himself for the collision that was imminent.

He saw the wood splinter and heard the screech of brakes and the whine of tractionless wheels... And then no more.

TBC

A/N Well what do you think? please let me know - unless you are thinking how dare that bitch be nasty to my precious McGee or my precious Vance (well that one is a little less likely LOL) Next chapter sees the rescue and the diagnosis. And the rest of the team make an appearance. Also please note that I'm not the quickest updater in the world and what with personal commitments and other fics to update you might want to put this on alert if you don't access the site frequently (that's if there's anyone there - of course if there isn't then it doesn't matter if I take my time... a win/win!


	2. Chapter 2

Betrayed chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own & therefore don't want to talk about it (sob)

A/N Goodness! Didn't expect such a positive response, thank you all very much. Okay, only a couple of negative comments but since they did raise a valid issue I will answer them here since they did not leave addresses. To Junee (who won't be reading this but if anyone knows her please thank her for her polite tone it was much appreciated) and McGee Lover, not so polite but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Both pointed out that McGee and Tony's relationship on the show was one of strong friendship/ siblings and that they would do anything for each other - of course they were (mostly) and yes they would, but that is the show and this is fanfic. In the show no male would ever become pregnant; there would be no slash between main characters and neither Tony nor McGee would ever be children or babies! So I do not apologise for messing with the team dynamic and I can't help it if I don't like McGee very much... and McGee Lover... that has nothing to do with looks. If Tony's personality was in McGee's body I would still prefer Tony. This will be the only time I respond to reviews without addresses since I figure people would rather be reading the fic. I will however post a warning every chapter so that nobody misunderstands my intentions. Thank you.

Warning: This fic contains a disabled Tony and is NOT McGee friendly.

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Everything was hazy. Tony thought it was the rain... he remembered it had been raining although where he had been and where he was... not to mention why he was lying in mud, were about as hazy as his rain befuddled vision, until he realised that the deluge had decreased to a drizzle and it was just his eyes not working properly, among other things, like the rest of his body. Perhaps if he closed his uncooperative orbs for a moment they would correct themselves. 'Good idea Tony' he thought drowsily.

The next time Tony woke his vision was better, not that he remembered there being anything wrong with it.. or that he had already woken once. But this time he did remember something very important.

McGee! And the fact that they should both be sitting in a car. Except there was no sign of his partner and he was lying on the open ground. He put a trembling hand to his head where the wet rain seemed unusually warm and realised from the viscosity of the liquid that it was blood. He ignored it; it wasn't important. He had to find out what had happened to McGee. He twisted his body round and tried to lever himself up into a semi sitting position... that's when he caught sight of his right leg. A detached part of his brain mused on how it looked a lot more like a half chewed dog toy while the rest of his thought processes blanked out both thought and image - he had a job to do and nothing would be allowed to get in the way, least of all a little leg wound.

"McGEE!" He waited, his heart pounding harder as he was met with silence. "TIM!" There was still no reply, the silence only being broken by the hiss of the car radiator as it leaked it's contents steamily into the chill air.

The car was precariously perched on the edge of a steep embankment. The front wheels were half on and half off the edge - not as bad as it could be but hardly safe, especially the way the ground was liquefying under the onslaught of the bad weather. Above them was a shallower drop and a broken barrier. He quickly figured that they must have partially careened down the slope, stopping at the slight plateau he was currently lying on. But that was by-the-by right now, too. What was important was the fact that McGee was still in the driver's seat, apparently unconscious from the way his head was hanging down to his chest - at least Tony hoped that he was only unconscious.

He needed to get to his partner! But he was so very tired... and what?... what was he doing? Where was Tim?

Tony shook his head and then decided that that was a bad idea as the pain flared sharply. He clawed back the memory of his mission - to get to his partner. Nothing else mattered and he had to move, had to get to Tim. Gibbs would have his ass if he left a man behind. "Semper Fi" he muttered as he willed himself to move, his body insisting just as strongly that it would prefer to remain still... and unconscious if that could be arranged, thank you very much.

A sudden grating noise sharpened his focus once again and he reacted purely on instinct and adrenalin. He didn't stop to watch as the car tilted slightly on the overhang, he was already on the move. He half hobbled and half crawled to the drivers side door, his leg dragging along behind him, a useless hindrance that he ignored along with the unbelievable pain that he felt on the periphery of his consciousness. He couldn't afford to be weak now... besides, a DiNozzo didn't faint - 'Hah! Never thought I'd be glad of my father's teachings' the stray thought flashed through his muddled brain as he gripped the handle, pulling with all his might to no avail other than the breaking of the handle itself. He dropped it on the ground with an inarticulate cry of frustration and grabbed at the doorframe instead. He didn't know if his light headedness was due to the blood loss or the pain. Whichever it was he knew that he didn't have long. He didn't notice the tearing muscles or feel the new pains adding their voices to the chorus. All that mattered was getting the door open.

He might later have, if he were to remember, complained of fates choice of superhero for him to emulate. If given free choice he would have chosen Batman or maybe Superman... certainly not the Incredible Hulk. But throughout the history of man there had been those cases of supreme heroic ability that had enabled otherwise weak or injured people to perform amazing feats of strength in times of terrible danger. Where women lifted cars off of trapped children; youngsters swam against powerful currents to save siblings and, in this case, one badly injured federal agent ignored his limitations to tear free a door trapping his partner using the strength of six men.

Tony felt the door give suddenly as he braced one hand on the side of the car and pulled the top edge of the door frame with the other. He almost collapsed as the door broke free, his fingers clinging to the metal to perform the task his leg could no longer accomplish - holding him upright. Instinct told him that he was running out of time. He sobbed in frustration as, leaning his body into the car frame his cold and numbed fingers fumbled with the seatbelt; he wished he had remembered to carry gloves like Tim had, but he persevered because he could see the welcome rhythmic rise and fall of the other man's chest. If the crash hadn't killed McGee he didn't want to be the one to finish the job because he had given up at the last hurdle.

The adrenalin was still pumping strong as he pulled McGee from the vehicle and lasted until he was partly up the slope and clear of the car but it cut out suddenly as he heard the tell tale crunching of metal on rock and glimpsed the brand new offering from the motor pool slip to it's final and premature end. First time out on the road too; the guys in the garage were going to be pissed. Dropping his partner on the ground his last sight as the darkness reclaimed him and he tumbled gracelessly back down the few feet to where the car had been was a small fireball illuminating the overcast sky and the last thing he thought was that the pain in his leg was flaring brighter than the burning gasoline.

N*C*I*S

"Jeff, you take this one, I'll get the one down there."

"Okay Jase, be careful, this mud's a bitch."

Jason Martin took his bag and carefully made his way down the short slope to the unmoving figure lying on his side, soaked through and covered in mud. He gave a passing nod to several police officers that he knew on the way. They had gotten here a few minutes ago and were doing their best to secure the area, not that the CSI's would have much to play with; this had been the wettest night of the year and with sleet forecast for later he certainly wouldn't want to be stuck out in it or try to obtain useful evidence. He put aside the stray thoughts as he reached his target and began his assessment.

"Yo Jeff! What's your status?" he yelled up the slope to his partner.

"I've got a caucasian male, late twenties. Unconscious. Pupils sluggish but reactive. Probable concussion, possible skull fracture. Blood pressure 160 over 95, pulse fast but regular. Fractured wrist. No obvious signs of internal injuries."

"Okay" Jason called back "We take mine first. I have a male caucasian, early thirties. Unconscious. Pupils also sluggish but reactive. Probable concussion, possible fractured skull. Probable broken ribs. Breathing is shallow and laboured. Blood pressure is 85 over 60. Pulse is weak and thready. Possible internal injuries." Jason winced as he inspected the shattered and torn right leg. "Victim has extensive trauma to his right leg and we'll need a backboard and a collar. Do we have an update on the second bus?"

There was a pause and then "LEO's say another unit is on the way, ETA five minutes. Backboard's on the way down now."

Jason didn't have to wait long before his partner arrived with a uniformed officer and the requested equipment. They worked quickly and in almost silence to get the man prepared for transport. Jeff occasionally called back up the slope to check on the progress of the other patient who was being tended to by a LEO with first aid training. Not an ideal situation but they had to prioritize at least until the second ambulance arrived.

"Shit!"

The two paramedics looked up from their work at the sound of the uniforms voice. The man was grimacing and holding what looked to be some form of ID badge although it looked more like a mudpie.

"What is it?" asked Jeff curiously.

"He's NCIS."

Jeff could understand that a cop would feel the injury to another cop deeper than a civilian, medics were the same when it was one of their own. What he couldn't understand was the look of faint horror.

"And?" Jason enquired. He hadn't seen the expression but he could hear the change in the tone of voice.

"Anthony DiNozzo. He's with Gibbs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

It was like a bell tolling the knell of doom.

"Gibbs? Second B for bastard Gibbs?" The LEO nodded his affirmation.

"Shit" Jeff echoed almost reverently while Jason shook his head and prayed that they made it away before said bastard turned up. He pitied the LEOs who would be left behind to deal with him.

"Okay. let's get Agent DiNozzo up top and loaded up. I don't like the way his pressure is still dropping."

They had just loaded Tony into the back of the ambulance when the second vehicle drew to a halt. Jason immediately set up an IV and appraised base of their situation while his partner filled the newcomers in on McGee's condition. The discovery that the other victim, too, was a member of Gibb's team resulted in an even deeper depression among the uniforms and a race to be the one with the best reason not to notify NCIS headquarters about the fate of two of their own.

Jeff drove as fast as he safely dared toward the nearest hospital while Jason tended to the deeply unconscious agent.

In NCIS headquarters the telephone on Gibbs' desk began to ring.

N*C*I*S

Gibbs lowered the receiver slowly back down to it's cradle as though it were an unexploded bomb ready to shatter his world into a million pieces. Except that it already had.

How the hell could such a simple assignment go so FUBAR so quickly? Gibbs dismissed the thought as soon as it arrived. He had more important things to do than wallow in self pity and philosophy. He picked up the traitorous phone again and dialled down to autopsy.

"Duck, it's Tony and Tim, meet me at Bethesda." He didn't wait for a reply; they had all been through this before with various team members, but especially Tony. He also knew that he didn't need to phone Abby because Ducky would bring her... and maybe Palmer too. He and Tony had become quite good friends lately. He felt a shiver run down his spine. Yes they had been through this before but why did this time feel different? It felt more like the time when Tony contracted the plague. He slammed the lid down on that direction of thought.

"Ziva!"

"Yes Gibbs?" Ziva David had gotten used to determining Gibbs moods from the tone of his voice and it wasn't always the harshest tones that indicated the greatest anger; when Gibbs was quietly spoken he was often at his worst but she had never heard outright fear in his voice before. She automatically rose to her feet as though to be better prepared for imminent bad news.

"That was Washington PD. McGee and DiNozzo were involved in an RTA. They're being taken to Bethesda, no update as yet on their conditions other than that they're both alive. I want you to go to the scene. This is OUR case."

Ziva was shocked but she was also a trained professional. She grabbed her bag and joined her boss in the elevator.

"What about informing the Director?" she asked as the doors began to close.

Gibbs grimaced. He knew how little the new Director cared for certain members of his team and the last thing he needed was for him to start sticking his nose in.

"He can wait" he replied tersely. 'Until hell freezes over' he added silently.

N*C*I*S

There was never chaos at Bethesda, they were all too professional to allow it but there was a sense of heightened tension as the two car crash victims were wheeled into emergency. This was partly due to the normal adrenaline rush of dealing with severely injured people, and partly due to the fact that they knew who those people were and who would be following hot on their heels. However they didn't let their dread of the imminent arrival of the ex gunnery sergeant affect that professionalism and a still unconscious Tim McGee was immediately diverted to the end of the emergency room while the larger space in the centre was given over to the team waiting to work on Tony.

Tony felt odd... detached from everything yet hyper-aware of every sound and every smell; and it was that antiseptic odor that told him where he was... the hated hospital; but at least the lights weren't blue this time. His brow creased as a strange man peered down at him. He struggled to make out the words being spoken and then tried even harder to provide an answer.

"Agent DiNozzo, can you hear me?" Doctor Shah smiled at the hesitant nod of the head which didn't actually move because of the restrictive collar but the doctor was used to reading between the lines of patient body language. "You are in hospital Agent DiNozzo and we are going to take good care of you. Can you remember what happened at all?"

Tony tried to think but the strands of memory were jumbled and split and he really didn't want to go into that dark place where the missing pieces lay in wait for unsuspecting travellers.

'No' he mouthed.

Doctor Shah wasn't surprised. It wasn't unusual for trauma victims to suffer amnesia about the circumstances of their injury. There was the distinct possibility, even probability, that he would never recall the crash or the events leading up to it.

"Don't worry about it now. Is there anyone you want us to contact for you? Family?"

'Good God no' thought Tony as he felt the edges of his mind shutting down again. 'Last person I need here is my father - not that he'd come'. He suddenly smiled a little as he realised that he DID want his family with him and that said family would be mightily annoyed if he wasn't informed.

Doctor Shah leaned forward to catch the faint words spoken in the merest whisper amongst the hustle and bustle of staff preparing for the move to the CT room.

"G...Gibbs"

Tony's smile widened as he saw the expression of resignation with just a hint of fear that settled on the doctor's previously professionally bland features. And then the darkness closed in once more.

N*C*I*S

TBC

A/N Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter the team starts to gather and Tim makes a bad decision.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N The reaction to this has been more than amazing. What a wonderful (and tolerant) bunch NCIS fans are...okay now I've softened you up (even if it was all true) I have a confession to make. I did intend to have two main themes in this fic - a consequences of McGees decision thread and a disabled Tony thread but I don't think they are going to gel together and both ideas are too important to me to do either an injustice so I'm going to downgrade the disabled element, and thank you to those who commented that they didn't like disabled fics, hopefully you will be pleased at this turn of events. Don't worry though Tony whump fans there will still be plenty of hurt!Tony with caring Gibbs but Tony will make (almost) a full recovery. This means I can prioritize my consequences thread. Hope that's okay.

Disclaimer: I am an honest girl - so no I don't own NCIS.

Ducky hurried through hospital reception toward the emergency room but he knew that he had failed to beat Gibbs to the scene by the raised voice he could hear.

"I am Tony's next of kin! I have his medical proxy! I'd say that gives me every right to be in there with him!"

Ducky sighed and increased his speed as the ex-gunny's voice dipped to dark and dangerous levels which the poor duty nurse no doubt didn't deserve.

"I am also his boss and a government Agent which gives me the right to shoot anyone who gets in my way."

"Now now Jethro. She isn't one of your most wanted you know; the poor girl is just doing her job." Ducky knew better than to shout at the team leader and that his gentle chastisement would have more effect than a punch to the gut.

"Ducky! Stay out of... aww hell." Gibbs anger deflated as his eyes finally saw past his fear to what Ducky had seen all along... a scrap of a girl with overly bright eyes and a wobbly lower lip trying her best to stand up to an ogre. He quickly and as graciously as was possible for him at any rate, mumbled an excuse me and turned pleading eyes toward the elderly medical examiner.

"Duck?"

Nurse Williams took the moment to break away from the distraught and angry man and return to her post. She smiled and winked at Ducky as she passed him, her eyes now suspiciously dry. Everyone knew that Gibbs responded badly to authority especially when one of his own was hurt but she had yet to meet a man of honour who could withstand a crying woman.

"I'll tell Doctor Shah that you're both here. He'll be with you as soon as possible."

Ducky nodded his thanks and was soon alone in the waiting area with a pacing Gibbs.

But not for long.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! How is he, what happened, where's Tim and why were you shouting... Tony's not... I mean they're okay right...?"

Gibbs braced himself for the impact as the tall goth launched herself into his arms.

"I don't know anything yet Abs, we're waiting on the doctor. They said we could see McGee soon, that his injuries weren't life threatening but there's been no word on Tony." He hugged her, not wanting to admit that he needed the comfort as much as she did.

Releasing the lab assistant that he looked upon as a daughter... not that he'd ever admit it, he nodded toward Jimmy Palmer, dubbed by Tony as the autopsy gremlin and now considered by his lead agent as a good friend. He wasn't sure how that had happened but he was grateful for it. For all his life and soul of the party attitude Tony didn't make true friends easily. He resisted the urge to smile as said gremlin swallowed nervously and nodded back to him. Palmer's fear of him had lessened over the years but he still seemed wary.

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs turned and glared at the white coated individual who had entered the room. He tried to read the man but he wasn't very good at that, unless he was dealing with a criminal, civilians were Tony's specialty.

"I'm Gibbs."

"Doctor Shah" The doctor held out his hand in greeting and studied his patient's next of kin as they shook hands.

Doctor Shah had expected a typical marine but was surprised to find himself facing a typical father. He could see it in the eyes; he had seen it too many times in his career to miss it.

"Please, let's sit down and I'll explain what we have found and what we plan to do."

For once Gibbs didn't argue or protest and he took a seat opposite the doctor He was flanked by the others, the only sounds being a slight sniffling from Abby.

"First may I set your mind at rest about Agent McGee. He has regained consciousness and apart from a moderate concussion and a simple fracture to the wrist he is going to be fine. We would like to keep him in for a couple of days though just as a precaution."

The others looked relieved but Gibbs found himself tensing up even more. His gut was telling him that he had been given the good news first. Not that he wasn't pleased that McGee was going to be okay, he just wanted the doctor to add 'and Tony will be fine too'

"And Tony?"

Shah turned slightly to the side and the man who had asked the question that none of them seemed to want to ask.

Gibbs was surprised and grateful to Palmer for his intervention. The man obviously had more steel than any of them had thought.

"Agent DiNozzo seems to have borne the brunt of the impact. He was awake for a few moments earlier and had no recollection of what had happened but has since lapsed back into unconsciousness. It's not surprising and I wouldn't be shocked if he never remembers up to a day or so before the accident owing to his sustaining a concussion and a hairline fracture of the skull" Shah smiled reassuringly at the young lady's gasp of shock, "There is no evidence of inter-cranial bleeding. There is some swelling, however we expect that to resolve itself without having to resort to invasive methods. We will keep a careful watch of course. Agent DiNozzo also has several broken ribs and we have confirmed internal bleeding from his spleen - we are prepping him for surgery now." He paused and sighed.

"What?"

Gibbs knew that this was the moment that the doctor was going to drop the bombshell.

"Agent Di..."

"Tony" Gibbs corrected shortly.

Shah nodded. "Tony's right leg was severely injured during the crash. He has multiple fractures and extensive tissue damage... we will do everything we can to save it but..."

"No!"

"Abs" Gibbs voice stopped the forensic scientist from completing the jump to her feet. She didn't know what to do, her sharp and agile mind just wanted to scrub the doctor's words from her brain. She wanted to punch the kindly looking man and tell him not to be so defeatist. She wanted to rush into the treatment room and see for herself that it wasn't as bad as the doctor thought. But that broken sound in Gibbs voice stopped her dead. She had NEVER heard that lost tone before and knew that his call to her was as much a cry for help as an offer of comfort. She dropped to her knees and hugged the senior agent, burying her face into the familiar strong chest that heaved with barely controlled shuddering breaths, the familiar smell of cologne and sawdust anchoring her.

Jimmy Palmer sat a little apart. He didn't want to intrude on what he had come to know as a family, although he liked to think that he at least had a place on the periphery. He removed his glasses, they were misting up for some reason. This couldn't be happening to Tony... not Tony. He was unbreakable. You knock Tony down and he just bounces back, at least with anything physical; emotional matters were another thing entirely. But this was physical. and doctors had to be cautious didn't they? He looked toward his mentor. Ducky had taken the patient file and was going through it methodically, his professional mask firmly in place. But Jimmy knew that look and what truth lay beneath it. 'Please, no'.

"I'll need you to sign the authorization for surgery... and any treatment deemed necessary Agent Gibbs."

"NO!" Gibbs voice was as commanding and sure as it had been when he was a marine and his determination to protect his senior field agent... the son he had never had... from being cut up by these people was certain, but his eyes were not on the patiently waiting doctor who was used to this type of reaction, they had drifted across to Ducky who felt the gaze on him even before looking up from the file.

"Sign it Jethro." Ducky hardly ever felt his age but now he felt old and incredibly tired. He locked eyes with his old friend and the truth was in them even before he uttered the words.

"Without the surgery he will almost certainly die Jethro. They will do all they can to save the leg but you need to let them make that decision. There is no other choice."

Gibbs signed the form in silence as Ducky comforted both Abby and a shocked Palmer. He left the trio huddled together as he went outside to phone Ziva. He needed to know what the hell had happened. And if Tim had as little recall as Tony then the ex-Mossad officer may be his only hope. He needed to know who or what to be angry at because he had to be angry at something otherwise he would shatter into pieces... and Tony needed him more than ever, and he wasn't about to let Tony down. But if they took his leg would Tony feel that he already had? Would he hate him for his decision. It didn't matter; he'd rather be hated by a live Tony than mourn at his funeral.

Tim McGee lay in his hospital bed and wondered how he had gotten himself into such a mess. One little mistake and his whole world had changed. If he hadn't made eye contact with the suspect; if he had let Tony drive. He sighed and wondered where Gibbs was; not that he was eager to feel the wrath of Gibbs, and wrath aplenty he would feel when his boss learnt of the details. He glanced at the door in anticipation and supposed that he was with Tony. He remembered someone pulling him from the wreckage and a vague sense of Tony's voice calling him so he couldn't have been badly hurt.

He gazed at the white cast on his wrist. He had been lucky but how long would that luck last when Tony told Gibbs what he had done. He could be thrown off the team...it was so unfair, he had worked so hard to get where he was; surely one little error couldn't ruin all that... he couldn't let it, he just couldn't see a way of avoiding it. Dammit! He couldn't let his IQ fail him now, there had to be a way to minimize the damage.

N*C*I*S

Knowing that Ducky would take care of Abby and notify him immediately of any news on Tony Gibbs left the hospital and stood outside, drawing in a deep breath that chilled his lungs to the point of pain - and he was glad of it. It was hard to feel anything at all, he was just numb. He still couldn't see how this had happened. One minute Tony was laughing and teasing McGee and the next, or at least that was how it seemed, he was lying on an operating table fighting for his life.

Gibbs realised that he had been wrong about not feeling anything - he felt something alright... guilt. He hadn't been there to protect his agents six. He wanted to be thankful that McGee seemed to have gotten off lightly but he couldn't spare the lighter emotion until Tony's fate was clear; he didn't have it in him to be grateful for anything at the moment. God! He wished he had a coffee.

Pulling out his cell phone he speed dialled Ziva who answered right away and he felt another stab of guilt that he had forgotten to update her on the fates of her team mates earlier.

"Gibbs! How are they?" Ziva knew the questions her boss was going to ask and she was also aware that this would probably be her only chance for an update on her team mates conditions. The LEOS, who seemed oddly pleased to see her in particular, hadn't been too optimistic about Tony and Tim hadn't regained consciousness the whole time they were at the scene.

Gibbs almost smiled at her snappy question - it sounded very him-like actually. Did she really think that he was such a bastard that he wouldn't update her immediately? Well, yeah, he winced at the realization but there was also a hint of pride that she had gotten to know him so well in such a relatively short period of time. Kate had never managed it and she had been a profiler. Would have one day became an excellent agent too.

At Ziva's repeated question, this time in a more tremulous tone, he shook off the sudden turn his thoughts had taken. Now was hardly the time to be thinking of lost friends.

"Tim's gonna be fine Ziva. I'll be seeing him in a few minutes..." He hesitated and Ziva picked up on it immediately.

"And Tony?"

Gibbs sighed. How much should he tell her. No point in giving her false optimism but no point in worrying her over a scenario that may never happen either.

"Tony took the worst of it. He's in surgery now but they're cautiously optimistic." It wasn't exactly a lie, Gibbs told himself. 'Yes it was' a little voice in his head pointed out. 'And were you only trying to convince her?' it added before he stomped on it. He could tell, however, by the momentary silence that she hadn't bought the lie either so before she could question him further he barked out the question he originally intended to ask.

"So Agent David, sit rep."

Ziva knew that there was no point in pushing any further... not at the moment anyway so she gave a succinct report of the few facts they possessed.

"An anonymous call was received from a payphone at 15.25 hours. The unidentified male caller reported a broken barrier and a plume of smoke from some point below their view. LEOs on the scene found the car in flames and the occupants unconscious. The CSI on site gave a preliminary report citing skid marks and an oil patch on the highway that indicated the car had been speeding before it went over the edge. I have arranged for the car to be towed back to headquarters. There is very little other physical evidence, the rain has washed anything of use away and the car is almost a shell. There is some indication, however, that a body was dragged part way up the slope but who dragged who is unclear. We can presume from the passenger door lying on the upper slope that the passenger at least was thrown clear during the crash."

Ziva knew that as far as information went it was very little use, although the signs indicated an accident rather than attempted murder. She wanted to apologise for the lack of clarity but she might not have all the rules committed to memory but one of the first she had learned was never to apologise. She let her thoughts drift momentarily to Tony and Tim. She was glad that Tim seemed okay. From the state of the car it was a wonder they had survived at all. And Tony... Tony would be fine. He was a survivor... he HAD to be okay, nothing less would do. Her bosses voice sounding once again in her ear brought her back to full attention.

"Alright Ziva" She noted that his voice sounded more weary than she had ever heard. "I know you want to be here but I might still be needed as next of kin and there won't be any news on Tony for a while so I need you to track down the recording of that caller and any camera footage along the route from Allington's office."

"I have already put out a BOLO on Allington's car and arranged for a witness statement from the operator who took the call, and for the recording to be sent to my computer and to Abby's lab."

"Good job Ziva." It wasn't any less than he would have expected from one of his team but somehow, especially now, it was important to let her know that it was appreciated. "Just see what footage we can get and then get statements from the paramedics who responded to the call. Then get yourself here."

Ziva closed her cell phone and shivered. She didn't think it had anything to do with the temperature.

N*C*I*S

Gibbs half listened to the nurse as she informed him of McGees status and read him the list of do's and don'ts which, after being in this position too many times, he already knew by heart - why did she think his hair was grey!

Tim mentally braced himself. He could hear Gibbs outside his room. He just hoped the tough ex-marine remembered that he had a concussion and didn't slap him on the head. Although that was probably the least of his worries. He had thought about his situation to the point where his head was spinning above and beyond his injury. A slap would hardly make any difference. And he hadn't come up with any way out of his predicament. He had come to the conclusion that he had no choice but to confess to his mistake and throw himself on Gibbs' mercy... he was doomed.

"B...Boss." McGee took in the tired features and worried frown. It was actually a good sign. Better than rage anyway.

"How you doin' McGee?" Gibbs automatically took in the appearance of his agent. The bruises, the cast and the paleness of his skin. He also noticed the hesitance in his speech and the wary look in his eyes.

"I'm good Boss. Guess we were lucky. How's Tony?"

Gibbs knew that McGee hadn't been fully informed of DiNozzo's condition and, like with Ziva, he saw no reason to panic before he had to or let anyone else worry either.

"He's still in surgery. They need to fix his leg and patch him up. He has some swelling inside his head but nothing they're alarmed about. I'm sure he'll be okay."

Tim's initial guilt at hearing that Tony was hurt worse than he had thought faded at Gibbs confidence in his recovery. About to ask for details the next words out of Gibbs' mouth drove all other thoughts away.

"Can you tell me what you remember Tim? The physical evidence was mostly washed away or went up in flames."

Tim was surprised. He hadn't known that the car had burned although he had figured that the rain would have made gathering evidence difficult.

"Well it... it's all a little hazy. I remember driving along. We were chasing Allington... Tony had been using the telephoto lens: Allington had exited the office and was talking on his cell... Tony, Tony must have seen something before I..." His comment was almost an aside. Gibbs presence was forgotten for a moment as Tim's thoughts drifted back to that fateful moment. What HAD Tony seen before Allington had seen him coming out of the coffee shop and panicked? And why had Allington left the office in the first place? Had Tony told Gibbs that he had startled the suspect even further? No, he didn't think so otherwise Gibbs would have killed him by now.

"Tim?"

The softer than normal tone did more than a slap to bring McGee out of his reverie.

"Boss." The apology, though unspoken, was accepted and at Gibbs' nod he carried on. "Um, Allington went like a bat out of hell and our car just wasn't up to the chase... Tony tried to..." He could still hear the Senior Field Agent ordering him to reign him in: why hadn't he listened? "...And then suddenly there was no traction and the barrier was coming at me... and then it's all kind of blurry. I remember the sound of the engine and the squeak of the wipers...the feel of mud... and that's about all. Sorry Boss."

Gibbs chose to ignore the apology under the circumstances and as fragmented as it was Tim's account seemed to line up with the evidence they had. The big question was just what had Tony seen to make him give chase? And what information had Allington received to give him cause to flee?

"Has Tony said anything about what happened Boss?"

Gibbs shook his head in frustration but managed to keep his expression fairly neutral.

"No. He was conscious for a while before they sedated him but the doctor asked him and he can't remember anything. The Doc says it's likely he never will due to his head injury." Gibbs huffed in frustration and ran a hand through his short silver hair. He absently noted that he was overdue for a haircut. "Are you sure you can't remember exactly why Tony set out after him? Why he didn't break off the chase when it got dangerous? It's just not like him to drive that recklessly, he must have had a hell of a reason."

Tim felt like he had been punched in the gut! Hard! What was Gibbs saying? That after he had confessed Tony didn't even remember? Tim wanted to cry... and laugh at his own stupidity. No physical evidence, not even traffic cameras since that section of the city had been out all week, and only his word to go on and he had gone and dug his own...

WAIT! WHAT? McGee replayed Gibbs' comments in his head, his heart beating a rapid rhythm. Gibbs asking if he knew why TONY was giving chase? But Tony wasn't driving!

Except he WAS, at least when they had set out to the stakeout. Tony ALWAYS drove. But he'd let him take over... the motor pool issue car probably wasn't cool enough for him Tim assumed.

It was a split second decision. A chance to protect his reputation and his career. The tired and bemused tone in Gibbs voice as he asked his question wasn't the same as the fire that would burn him alive if he were to admit that HE and not Tony had been behind the wheel. Gibbs was a fair man... except when it came to his precious Tony. McGee couldn't help but feel bitter at that thought. No matter what he did Tony would always be Gibbs favourite. No, Tony would get a slap upside the head and a hurt look and maybe an official reprimand. One of many he thought, and none of the others had phased the senior agent or affected HIS career. But Vance wouldn't stand for him to fail. He wanted agents who were more perfect than perfect in his new world. And Tim was determined to be a part of that world. Tony never would be, no matter what Gibbs thought of him. He had far more to lose than Tony had to gain.

He catalogued the factors at the speed of one of his computers. The lack of evidence and what had been done and said. No witnesses and the seat of the drivers side hadn't had to be adjusted. Tony's prints were on the wheel but his weren't due to his gloves...

"Tim!" Gibbs concern came out as a bark. Was McGees concussion worse than they had thought? He didn't seem to be able to concentrate on the subject and he needed to know why Tony had driven like a madman. It wasn't like him.

"Yeah...er... yes Boss." He hardened his heart. He would later blame his concussion; the shock and confusion of the moment but by then he would have compounded his betrayal and wouldn't be able to deny his guilt. Not even to himself... especially to himself.

"No... I don't know what set Tony off but I'm sure it was something big. He had the better angle of view." Tim reversed the scene as it had happened. "I asked him to stop but I'm not sure he heard me. Then we were out of control and he couldn't bring the car round... It was an accident Boss. He didn't mean to do it, the car just got away from him...

TBC

A/N Bad Timmy! Next chapter Tony awakes Yay! and Tim digs himself in deeper.


	4. Chapter 4

Betrayed chapter 4

Disclaimer: Tony would be mine but he's insisting on bringing his DVD collection with him and I don't have the room.

A/N: Now you can see why I suggested that alerts would be useful! Sorry for the delay. I haven't been idle (or cowering in terror because of a certain flamer's review which I'll get to in a minute) I've been updating in another fandom - very disloyal of me I know, but they've been waiting for ever and even then I've updated this first so... anyway to this reviewer who accused me of a severe lack of originality. I do not read McGee-centric fiction, why on earth would I? I have never read this nameless story. I do not doubt, however that other stories with this premise exist. The driving skills of the team members are often commented on in fanfic and in the series - Ziva even mused whether Tony would take the rap for her when she had a little bump in an episode whose title I can't remember. So it seemed like an obvious theme but of course there is a possibility that I was influenced subconsciously by a stray summary while browsing. I just wouldn't have opened the file but I have never visited the NFA site (thanks for that by the way - more lovely stories to read!) As to the accusation that I would copy plot details? Duh! If you are going to flame at least read the darn chapter! I ruled out the use of camera footage at the end of chapter 3 - I have read in many fandoms and the only truly original, never repeated plot I can remember came from my beloved Magnificent 7 where all the characters were pies - yes, pies! It was short and saucy and my Ezra, I think, was a key lime but my point is that if only one version of an idea was allowed per fandom we wouldn't have most of the stories we love. Sorry that took so much space but people like that, although best ignored, sometimes have to be answered. To the others who, out of curiosity rather than spite, wondered how Tim could get away with this given the evidence - well I admit that I need a bit of leeway on this but don't forget that not all the physical evidence comes from the crash - Tony took a tumble and McGee was dragged through muddy brush, and the car does hold evidence if you look hard enough but this was obviously an accident and they have an unimpeachable witness. Why should Gibbs doubt McGee? The evidence will be there when Gibbs is given cause to look but that won't be for a while. Sorry about this long A/N not all will be like this. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Note: italics indicate out of body experience.

.

Gibbs could see that his junior agent was becoming distressed over having to recall events and, after arranging with him for his statement to be taken later, he changed the subject a little and went over the events prior to the accident. It told him nothing new other than that true to form Tony had driven his probie nuts during the stakeout and that Tim still hadn't worked out that it was all part of the DiNozzo method of training - not orthodox maybe but then was anything about Tony DiNozzo orthodox.

As McGee's tiredness grew more obvious Gibbs made his excuses and left the room grateful that at least one of his people was going to be alright.

Tim had forced himself not to cave in and confess the truth as he told his tale. Gibbs could spot a lie a mile away. It rather surprised him, therefore, when Gibbs failed to do so and McGee felt a stab of disappointment. It somehow confirmed the direction that his thoughts had taken lately, that even Leroy Jethro Gibbs was not quite the great man that his reputation declared him to be... and if his role model had feet of clay then it was even more reason to look after number one. Loyalty to Gibbs may give him a certain kudos in the social life of the bullpen but it wouldn't get him to the directors chair before he turned forty. It wouldn't make his parents and his sister proud of him - but neither would gaining that position by lying, by stepping over the bodies of those who called him friend a little voice inside him whispered. He ignored it as his eyes slid closed.

McGee drifted into an uneasy sleep and his closed eyelids twitched as scenes from the crash played through his head. The sound of Tony's voice as he pleaded for him to slow down alternated with his own feelings of power, of being in control, as he contrarily sped up. Tony's voice again as he called his name, sounding panicked now and the smell of burning rubber and the whoosh of flame...

Tim woke up suddenly, feeling the cold sweat forming on his forehead and the shivering in his body despite the warm temperature in the room. The sound of tearing metal and Tony's yell was still echoing in his ears and he put his hands to his ears in a futile effort to block them, his cast colliding clumsily with the side of his head adding another bruise to his collection. The bruises would eventually fade, he could only hope that the memories would follow their example.

"Time to toughen up McGee" he told himself as sleep claimed him once again and as his dreams this time failed to invade his mind, his betrayal hurt a little less than it had a few moments ago.

N*C*I*S

Gibbs started to make his way back to the surgical waiting room but as a thought came to him he detoured back outside. He noticed absently that the rain had stopped and the wet ground was beginning to freeze over. It would be lethal by morning unless someone put some grit down.

He gripped his cell tightly as the truth hit home properly for the first time - the weather had almost proved lethal already. Only public service on the field of battle and the harsh lessons taught by personal tragedy made it possible to keep a lid on his emotions enough to carry on. But he needed someone who understood what he couldn't say and who knew what to do about it. Only two people had that capability now that Shannon was gone and one of them was at this moment on an operating table.

It took a certain strength to maintain his constant hardass facade and right now he hated himself for that strength because he couldn't be sure that Tony did see through it, not completely. Tony was the most intuitive and observant man he knew but he also had a blind spot where others attitudes to himself were concerned. Gibbs put that down to his less than ideal childhood and the lack of love and, maybe more importantly in many ways, respect shown to him by DiNozzo senior. Whatever the reasons Tony often put his own insecurities onto others leaving him with self esteem issues that, to his own shame, he as either Boss, friend or family had never taken enough time to tackle. He just hoped that it wasn't too late and that he could find that different kind of strength, emotional strength, that he would need. Yes, help would definitely be needed. With that thought he speed dialled the only other man who knew him as well as his senior agent.

"Dad, it's me. Something has happened...No, no, I'm fine...Dad, it's Tony..."

Gibbs didn't know why he felt better after making the call. It wasn't as though Jackson Gibbs could wave a magic wand and make everything better but just knowing that he was on his way and would be here whatever happened was enough.

N*C*I*S

Ducky sat on a rather less than comfortable chair in the surgical waiting room but he didn't notice his discomfort. He didn't notice Abby sitting opposite, being comforted by an equally tense Jimmy. He was too caught up in the mental images the medical report had stirred up; but somehow they were becoming mixed up with the memory of the sight of Kate lying still and deathly pale on his slab. He hadn't told anyone, not even Gibbs, but he had suffered nightmares for months after she was gunned down on that rooftop. He didn't know if he could go through something like that again and despite his assertion to Jethro that Tony would die if he didn't get the surgery he needed he wasn't sure that he would survive even if he did.

Gibbs silent enquiry on entering the room was met with a negative headshake, no news yet and so the silent vigil continued only interrupted by various nurses asking them if there was anything they needed and Ziva's arrival and update which told Gibbs nothing that they didn't already know. The car was in storage but there was no rush for Abby to examine it. It had already been given an initial investigation by the local CSI's which would no doubt corroborate Tim's recollection of events and Abby was in no hurry, and to Ducky's thinking, no fit condition, to go back to work. The loss of camera footage on their route due to a major overhaul had been a blow as had the lack of independent footage, just the odd flash of a part of a vehicle rushing through static shop cameras without discernable details. Allington's office had hardly been in the hub of the city and most shopkeepers were more interested in focusing their security measures on their own doorsteps rather than the public highway. There was just one witness willing to offer his services to the local LEOs but he was thanked politely by the rookie that interviewed him and was told that he would be contacted if needed. The rookie shook his head as he walked away. Just their luck that the only citizen with a sense of public duty and a lack of fear of reprisal was completely blind.

Gibbs sat until he couldn't sit still any more and when he couldn't remain still he would pace until one of the others forced him back into his chair and pushed a cup of coffee into his hands. If he were any less worried he might have resented this show of unexpected courage in his friends but instead he would growl and then meekly sip on his beverage until the cycle repeated itself. The monotony only being broken when for just one split second he could swear he saw Tony standing near the door smiling at him. He glanced down at his black coffee and wondered for the first time whether you actually could drink too much of the stuff.

He wasn't the only one trying to deal with the traumatic wait. They each had their own coping mechanisms. Ducky would read and re-read the doctor's report in the hope that it would look different or in the hope that he would suddenly not be able to read between the lines nobody, least of all himself, knew.

Jimmy felt both anxious that there was a chance he would lose one of his few friends in the nation's capital and, although it would make Tony blush to hear him admit it, one of his best friends ever, and a fierce pride that this extraordinary group of people had let him into their circle and that Gibbs trusted him to look after Abby who they all knew was like a daughter to him.

Abby, meanwhile, took comfort in Jimmy's arms around her and the reassuring growls that came intermittently from her Bossman but most of her attention was geared to willing her surrogate brother well. Call it prayer or call it voodoo she didn't much care. All she knew was that Tony needed all the positive energy that he could get and she wouldn't let him down.

Ziva wasn't used to sitting and worrying about colleagues, about friends. In the world she had come from colleagues died. It was regretted but accepted and was why they never got too close to each other. Sometimes it was even possible that they might be called on to kill each other. It was not an atmosphere to breed familial loyalty. So these feelings she was getting about her partner were decidedly unnatural. And she couldn't work out why they hurt so much. How could caring be painful? Yet she wouldn't have it any other way... well not unless she could switch places with Tony, and she would, in a heartbeat because that was what friends did for each other. It was Tony that had taught her that she realised. She had also realised that Tony had taught her an awful lot more than she had thought and not just colloquialisms and movie history. She owed him and if he did not make it she would repay him by hunting down the person responsible and making them very sorry. It may have been an accident but they were chasing Allington for a reason and she would take great delight in prising that reason from him when they found him and avenging her team mate.

N*C*I*S

_Tony watched as his friends fretted and waited. He figured that since he was standing in a hospital waiting room somebody had gotten themselves hurt and he also figured that since he seemed to be invisible and as transparent as a ghost that somebody was him._

_Now why wasn't he surprised. What did surprise him was that this being dead thing was pretty cliche if one went by movie history since he was doing a pretty good casper impression... or maybe Bruce Willis... in fact he could name a dozen films that fit the bill but he'd never thought he would be in the starring role. He didn't like it. Oh not the being dead part; he was prepared for that every time he strapped his gun on and he'd defied the odds on more occasions than was reasonable. It was actually seeing the people left behind, although from their actions they hadn't been told yet. He wanted to tell them that he was sorry he screwed up... not that he could remember how he'd died but if anyone was going to screw up it was going to be him, that was a given. _

_He wanted to tell Gibbs that he had been the best father he had ever, or should that be never, had. He wanted to hug Ziva and tell her how proud he was of the effort she had made to fit in. To tell Jimmy that he was a great friend and that he should have more confidence in himself and that he couldn't have a better mentor than Ducky who was the wisest and sweetest man he knew._

_And Abby. How could he leave Abby? She would be okay, he knew, because Gibbs would have it no other way, but he wouldn't be okay leaving her behind...leaving any of them behind. These were the people who had made his life worth living and Abby was the one who had given him back his joy in that life. She was his own Caf Pow. He smiled at that thought. She was also the only one he could tell his secrets to. She was the sister he had always wanted and, like most things in his younger life, had been denied him. Once he was born his mother had considered her duty to the DiNozzo name done and he had been sentenced to be an only child which considering how that childhood had turned out maybe hadn't been a bad thing. He certainly wouldn't wish his experiences on a sibling._

_Tony's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden feeling of wrongness. Someone was missing. Where was Tim?_

_As if the thought were action Tony suddenly found himself in another room, a hospital room and Tim was lying asleep in the bed. After a moments concern Tony saw that the younger agent was breathing easily and seemed fairly okay. He wanted to feel relieved but for reasons he couldn't explain his unease grew instead of diminishing. He wanted to get out of there... he had to get out!_

_He sighed in relief as he found himself back in the waiting room although it seemed to be shimmering slightly. He looked up and it seemed for a moment as though Gibbs was staring straight back at him before, with the scent of Abby's perfume and the sound of her heartbeat in his ears he found himself floating above his own body in an operating theatre. He only had time to think that this was like the 1946 film A Matter of Life and Death starring David Niven before everything went dark. _

N*C*I*S

Gibbs first impression of the state of the surgeon when he entered the room was one that he had seen all too often in his life as a marine - it was the look of a man who had fought in a battle, and fought hard. What he couldn't tell from the exhausted face was if the fight had been won or lost.

"Please, please be seated. I know I could do with a rest, it was a long haul." Paul Mochdre, the primary surgeon, smiled as he spoke to the rather unorthodox 'family' before him. He watched as they took their cue from him and relaxed slightly. All except the tall man with the military bearing who he correctly placed as Agent Gibbs. Doctor Shah had warned him about the reputation of the team leader but all he saw was a concerned father. He knew that Gibbs wouldn't relax at a reassuring smile. The man probably wouldn't relax until his man left the hospital under his own steam.

Gibbs noted the thin but genuine smile. It told him that Tony had made it through surgery but not much else.

"Firstly may I introduce myself. I'm Paul Mochdre and I was the lead surgeon in the team that worked on Special Agent DiNozzo" He paused as Gibbs corrected him and nodded before continuing.

"Tony... Well I can put your minds at rest on one issue immediately; Tony came through surgery and he's now in recovery. He is quite the fighter and I have to admit that he needed all that courage today. We lost him a couple of times on the table but he rallied" The surgeon waited for the gasps of horror and whispered prayers of thanks to die down before adding, with a serious mien that while Gibbs wasn't surprised to see it did contrast with the previous good news. Tony was a man of extremes even in unconsciousness.

"I don't want to dampen your joy but you have to be aware that he isn't quite out of the woods yet. We have catagorized him as critical but stable which is a very good result considering his injuries."

This was the part that they had all been waiting for. Once they knew that Tony had made it through surgery there were still many issues that needed to be addressed. People leaned forward in their seats and Gibbs looked even more serious if that were possible.

Mochdre didn't wait for the inevitable questions. "We did, unfortunately have to remove his spleen. However, there is no reason why Tony should not have a perfectly normal life without it. There are issues of infection and he will have to take antibiotics on a long term basis. He will have to be extra careful due to his pre-existing lung problems but with care he should have few problems. We had to also remove one of his ribs which had been broken one too many times to be stabilised. The threat of it snapping randomly and penetrating the lung was too great and the fractured skull has, as we thought, caused no internal damage and should resolve itself in time."

More than one member of the party winced at the reminder that Tony's ribs had borne the brunt of one too many blows but they were focused on the surgeon and the final and most important piece of news he had to impart.

"Now, as to my own area of expertise, I am pleased to confirm that all indications are that we have managed to save the injured leg. We've managed to pin, plate and screw the shattered bones together and repair the joint, muscles and tendons. The blood supply and the nerve damage gave us problems but the limb has good color now and there is evidence of reflex action. How much eventual use he will have will depend largely on Tony himself. His recovery will be a long and difficult one. In many ways it is easier to rehabilitate a person with an amputated limb than an injury of this severity. He will need all the support he can get, but if he has the willpower and luck is on his side I see no reason why he shouldn't eventually make a full recovery."

That was the sentence they had been waiting for.

"He'll do it and we'll help him." Abby's reply was instantaneous. She had willed him all her positive thoughts while he was in surgery and she couldn't wait to show him that positiveness in action.

"Young Tony has more courage than anyone I have had the privilege of meeting. He will succeed if anyone can." Ducky looked as though the ten years he had aged during the past few hours had dropped away in a matter of seconds as he listened to the surgeons prognosis and Jimmy was more reassured by that than anything Doctor Mochdre had to say.

"Tony won't let something like this beat him - we won't let it" Jimmy added his voice and Mochdre knew that with these people behind him Tony DiNozzo stood a good chance.

The attractive agent with the slight accent's contribution had him a little puzzled though. He could understand that she and the others would have his six - he worked in a military hospital, he knew what that meant, but why the ownership of a paperclip would spur Tony on to recovery was beyond him!

"He won't fail. I haven't given him permission to."

And it was that statement; uncompromising and solid, from Gibbs that effectively closed the deal.

N*C*I*S

Now another waiting game began. This one was calmer and more routine but nonetheless tense. They waited for Tony to wake up and begin his long journey back to health, and not just physically. They all worried that he would blame himself for the accident. If he didn't remember what had spooked Allington and why it had been necessary to chase him down he would no doubt never forgive himself especially since his fellow agent and friend had also been hurt. They knew Tim wouldn't blame him: Indeed none of them blamed him. Tony wasn't the kind to panic for no reason, they just needed to figure out what that reason was. And for that they needed to find Allington and to hear what Tony remembered.

Gibbs didn't do patience well...but he waited silently by his senior agents bedside and faked it. He even slowed his coffee intake - not difficult since he wasn't willing to leave the room to refill his cup and the others were under orders from Ducky not to overly indulge him.

Patience may be its own reward but Gibbs' reward was seeing two bleary, dull but very much alive green eyes staring at him as he sat in his not so patient vigil.

"Hey Tony welcome back."

Tony gazed round the room and immediately recognized the ICU unit. He switched his gaze to Gibbs worried and unshaven features and frowned.

"Did I screw up Boss?"

Tony watched the slow, exasperated headshake and wondered if that meant that he hadn't screwed up or if he had screwed up big time...

Because for the life of him he couldn't remember a damn thing about how he'd gotten here.

TBC

A/N Well Tony only just woke up in this chapter but lots of recovering Tony to come and you did get a little disembodied Tony as a bonus. Hope you enjoyed.


	5. Chapter 5

Betrayed chapter 5

Disclaimer: Even if they were for sale I wouldn't be able to afford them and if they were given away it would probably be a lucky dip and I would end up with McGoo - so no, I don't own anything.

A/N Sorry for the delay. I'd like to blame AOL for it's server problems but that only accounted for a couple of days - the truth is I've been working on a christmas story in another fandom that I've been promising for ages... and christmas shopping - now you wouldn't want the little kiddies to be disappointed on christmas day because I was too busy updating to buy pressies would you?...did that work?...okay, okay, no kids, just some work colleagues but they act like kids most of the time lol. Sorry for not replying to reviews but I got a lot more than I expected and it would have delayed this chapter even longer. But I just want to thank you all very much, they are very much appreciated - my own early christmas present. One last thing - I know that Vance probably wouldn't be able to do what he does at the end of the chapter but I'm British and one toe dipped into the murky depths of American federal law enforcement online was enough to befuddle me for life so just take it as fact ok?

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"Take it easy Tony." Gibbs was already pushing the call button to summon the nurse. He had been badly hurt more than once and had felt the consequences. He knew that strange twilight time between sleep and wakefulness and the body's realisation that it now had a receptive audience for the pain signals it was trying to send to the brain. That almost normal moment before all internal hell broke loose. And after having seen the leg that had been saved by the skill of a surgeon and whichever over-worked guardian angel watched over his second in command he knew that Tony would be in a world of hurt very very soon now.

"W...what hap..pn'd boss?" Tony hated this bit of the hospital process. Well, truth be told he hated every single part of the hospital process but at least with the rest of it he had some clue as to what was going on. All he was sure of at the moment was that whatever had happened it had to be bad to make the normally stoical Gibbs look quite so anxious. Perhaps one of the others had been hurt in whatever incident had landed him in the hospital? Or was it worse than that, was one of them...? He had a sudden flashback to the moment he realised that he would never see or hear Kate anymore... he didn't think he could go through that again.

A sudden eye roll of exasperation and shake of the head from Gibbs quelled his growing panic slightly but left him puzzled too. Gibbs couldn't be worried about him could he? That was ridiculous; he was f...

"JESUS!" Tony would later wonder why he always forgot this moment, rather like a new mother who swears never again to put herself through the agony of childbirth. The pain hit him like a sledgehammer... a sledgehammer that was attached to a rusty sword which was in turn coated in acid!

"Breathe through it Tony" came the gentle voice. Tony preferred hard assed Gibbs. Caring Gibbs was 'it's all gone to hell in a handcart but I want you to relax anyway' while the hard assed Gibbs 'Don't you dare die on me DiNozzo' was comforting in an even God doesn't disobey Gibbs sort of way.

"Breathe slow and even" and Tony's body couldn't help but obey even though he personally thought that it was all this breathing that was causing the problem and that death would be a small price to pay for it to stop, but since to die would certainly violate one of Gibbs rules (even if he had to invent a new one specifically for the occasion) he obeyed and tried to regulate his hitching, gasping breaths. He couldn't help but chuckle even though it hurt like hell as Gibbs caring side gave way to his impatient one.

"Where the hell is that damned nurse!"

As if by magic the nurse finally bustled through the door and seeing the look of pain on her patient's face and the glare on Gibbs features she didn't hesitate to administer the authorized medication through the IV line.

"I'll page the doctor" was all she managed to choke out before her nerve faltered and she dashed from the room.

"W... wish I had your winning way w...with women, B..Boss."

Knowing that his glare had little effect on his second Gibbs shot him another eye roll and concerned frown. For some reason concern always spooked Tony, who, of course, completely misunderstood the reason for that look and jumped to the same conclusion he had come to before the pain had hit.

"You can tell me Boss, I can h...handle it... It's Tim isn't it? Is he...?"

Gibbs watched as the painkiller started to take effect but he was all too aware that it was fear of his answer that caused him to hesitate and not the morphine.

"He's gonna be fine; minor injuries and he'll be released tomorrow. What do you remember Tony?" Gibbs hadn't missed the fact that it was McGee that had been the focus of Tony's concern... and Gibbs didn't want to think about why the Italian didn't think that his concern could be aimed at him, that it had to be someone, anyone, else that gave rise to such an emotion. Gibbs knew that he was fighting a losing battle against the drugs but any window of opportunity was worth taking.

Tony felt relief surge through his body along with the morphine. He wracked his increasingly woozy brain for the information that Gibbs needed, he hated to let his boss down... but he clenched the sheet in frustration as he found nothing but blankness after the routine of the start of the day.

"Allington" he stated with more confidence than he felt... they were still investigating Allington weren't they? " We were on a stakeout..."

Gibbs gave no indication of the disappointment in the uncertainty in Tony's voice, he was lucky to be alive, to have total recall would have been too much to hope for.

"And it was cold... and then... then there was fire...?" Tony sighed as his eyes began to droop closed "Sorry boss..." Everything was beginning to fade but he didn't have to be able to see Gibbs to sense his disappointment. Maybe after a nap he would remember more.

"I'm sure you will Tony. You get some sleep now."

Tony realised that he must be further gone than he had thought to have voiced his opinion without even realising it. He hoped that Gibbs didn't think less of him.

"No Tony, I don't. Just rest now... That's an order."

"Resting Boss" Tony was mortified at his lack of control and vowed not to think anything at all until the drugs wore off... still at least it wasn't as bad as the time he had been on meds for his knee and had declared his undying love for Abby's farting hippo... in front of a group of visiting Japanese diplomats.

Gibbs snort told Tony that his verbalization of his private thoughts was an ongoing issue and while the drugs were working great the sleep just wasn't coming... why was it that the more you tried not to think the more you actually thought? And the more the pain faded the more bizarre those thoughts became. Tony smiled at a recent memory...at least he thought it was... it had become kinda hard to tell.

"You shouldn't pace so much Boss."

"Huh?" Gibbs forehead creased at that non sequitur. He was used to a drugged DiNozzo. When he was less seriously injured it could be fun to listen to him ramble - in fact Abby had often threatened to record him and post his mental meanderings on YouTube, much to the Agent's horror. But this was so far out of left field that Gibbs couldn't even see the ball park.

"The pacing." Tony explained in a very slurred and sleepy voice. "You were driving them crazy. Even Jimmy looked bold enough to say boo! to ya."

"When I was pacing Tony?" Gibbs had done a lot of sitting by Tony's bed but not wanting to disturb him haqd resisted the urge to keep on the move. The answer he received, however, floored him.

"When I was dead."

Gibbs face bore the rarest of expressions to be found on the normally controlled features - shock. Unfortunately any further attempt at talking was pointless; Tony's features had lost that pinched and pain filled expression and his closed eyes and regular breathing confirmed that he had finally succumbed to sleep.

Listening to the regular sounds that were more a soft snuffle than a snore Gibbs mind went back to that moment of what he had presumed was a coffee induced hallucination. He shivered as he realised that he had come as close to Tony's ghost as he ever wanted to. His features hardened: there was no way he would come that close to losing his surrogate son again!

N*C*I*S

Gibbs lost track of time as he watched the shallow rise and fall of Tony's chest, the shallowness no doubt due to the missing rib. Even there he had been lucky - the rib that had been taken wasn't protecting anything vital. Lucky. That was DiNozzo's middle name alright.

Just when Gibbs, not a man of inaction at the best of times, felt like he couldn't take it any more; watching the pale and almost corpse like figure, knowing how close he had come to ... Dammit! he needed coffee and fresh air!

"Ducky! Perfect timing. You mind sitting with him for a while? I need some air."

Ducky, who had entered with the timing born of long time familiarity of the mystery that was Gibbs, automatically exchanged 'coffee' for 'air' He wondered if Jethro knew that the whole team could time his need for caffeine down to the second. Probably not - Gibbs prided himself on his unpredictability.

As Gibbs left with one last glance back to reassure himself that Tony was still breathing Ducky checked the monitors and satisfied with the readings sat down to begin his own vigil. He was soon lost in his own thoughts - Gibbs was indeed far from unpredictable where some things were concerned.

Like his dedication to his team. Oh he had the tendency to go maverick now and then but only when it would put his team in more danger than necessary to include them or when the issue was personal but on a case, and in the cut-throat political manoeuvrings he would drive himself into the ground in defence of his people and contrary to popular romantic myth that was not the norm in your average federal agency, not these days anyway. It had become a world where progress, politics and ambition were kings and service, loyalty and sacrifice were fast becoming dinosaurs. Luckily for NCIS both Jethro and Tony were dinosaurs that weren't planning on becoming extinct - Ducky snorted softly as he glanced fondly at the battered features in the bed - make that not deliberately extinct!

He frowned as he thought of the other team members; he wondered if all of them understood just how far Gibbs would go for them and how much loyalty to the team he expected in return. Semper Fi wasn't just for marines. He smiled as he thought of Abby. There was no doubt as to her loyalty and love even if her main loyalties lay with her 'Bossman' and Tony. Ziva, he was sure, didn't yet understand the close knit relationship she had wandered into. He had worked with Mossad before and it was an entirely different way of operating but she seemed to be learning quickly. Quicker than her mastering of American idioms at any rate.

Ducky paused in his mental musings as Tony began to stir but sat heavily back in his seat as the injured agent quickly settled back to sleep. It was best that he get all the rest he could as his recuperation would no doubt be long and painful, but things were looking a lot more positive than several hours ago. In fact after having the facts explained to her, how the loss of his spleen wouldn't severely affect his long term health, Abby had complained that nobody had thought to save the organ and put it in a jar as a souvenir. Ducky sometimes wondered about that girl!

As he stared unseeing at a half completed crossword left behind by a previous visitor the elderly medical examiner's thoughts resumed their path once again. After taking a moment of gentle pride at how his protege, Jimmy, was quietly and slowly working his way into their circle - something that Gerald, bless him, had never really managed to do his thoughts finally moved to the other occupant of a hospital bed today; and he found that his sense of relief at the superficial nature of Tim's injuries were overlayed by a certain unease. It was a feeling that he couldn't explain but he had lived too many years and survived too many situations to ignore what his gut was telling him. He just wished that he knew what that something was. He hadn't even seen McGee yet... he wasn't even sure that his unease revolved around this accident. He had been unsettled by their youngest agent's attitude for a while now.

Ducky rubbed his hand wearily across his forehead. He was certainly aware of his age today.

"Hey Ducky"

The medical examiner's head shot up and his eyes brightened at the sight of an awake Tony.

"Anthony my boy!" As Tony's eyes automatically searched the room Ducky chuckled and supplied the unasked for information.

"He's just gone for a coffee."

"Ah." Tony hadn't thought for a minute that Gibbs would abandon him but he needed his coffee like Tony himself seemed to need his good drugs. And despite the pain he hadn't failed to notice that Gibbs had been light on detail of his injuries - that couldn't be good.

"So Duck, you gonna break the bad news? Usually the first words out of the bosses mouth are a list of my injuries and a lecture on what an idiot I am."

Ducky sighed and was reminded why he preferred to work with deceased clients! He pulled his chair nearer and proceeded to repeat the surgeons summation.

Tony listened with a mix of horror and fascination. Missing organs and bones! Was there anything left of him? And more importantly would what he had left ever work properly again.

"The leg Ducky? Tell me straight - can I still be a field agent?"

Ducky didn't insult Tony with platitudes but he didn't dare be anything less than totally positive either. Self belief was an important factor in recovering from injuries like the one that he was suffering from.

"The surgeon was very happy with the result of his efforts dear boy and I see no reason to doubt his prognosis of a complete recovery... however" he added quickly because with Tony one sometimes had to press the point home rather firmly... "This isn't a simple sports injury or a bit of a knock and you will have to follow both the doctor's and my advice exactly to achieve the optimum result"

"And mine DiNozzo."

Tired green eyes met equally tired blue but the famous DiNozzo smile made an appearance through the fatigue and breakthrough pain that even the morphine couldn't quell.

"Hey Boss... when did I ever NOT obey your orders? On second thoughts don't answer that."

Gibbs snorted and placed the bag containing his lunch and an extra large coffee down on the side table before exchanging a significant 'look' with Ducky whose smile and nod reassured him. Tony rolled his eyes at the not so subtle gesture and then winced and wondered how even his eyeballs could hurt. That reminded him...

"so who's gonna fill me in on exactly what happened because I think we've already figured out that I'm not much help there.

Gibbs had been glad that he had been out of the room when Ducky had updated Tony on his injuries - and he would maintain that waiting outside the door until he had finished had been polite and not at all cowardly. Now he wished he'd stayed away a little longer because there was no way that Tony wouldn't blame himself for the accident , not with the little they did know. Perhaps he needed to get Abby to work on the physical evidence. The CSI's were pretty good at their job but they weren't Abby by any stretch. He sighed at the frown that had settled on his Agent's features and added a wish that Tony wasn't always so good at reading him! Eyeing his coffee he decided to wait until after their talk - he would probably need it then.

N*C*I*S

Vance sat at his desk and reviewed the reports on the car crash. It was a mess! One agent with amnesia and serious injuries and another who if he had been senior field agent would likely never have put them in whatever position had caused the crash in the first place - hell McGee would probably have set up an electronic surveillance in the first place not gone off all gung ho like Starsky and Hutch! He pulled the CSI report towards him - it looked pretty cut and dried. A simple accident but if negligence was involved... Well the negligence would lay with DiNozzo as the driver but the taint would spread and he couldn't afford for one of his brightest upcoming stars to be associated with human error.

Vance had ambitions yet to be fulfilled. He had his eye on Capitol Hill and his judgement could not afford to be put into question. Just because it was an accident didn't mean that blame wouldn't be spread around not only the team but to the point where the buck stopped... and that would be him. He ran through the details a second time just to satisfy himself that all was above board and then wrote out an authorization for the physical evidence to be signed off as checked. There was no reason for their lab to re-do the CSI's work. The car would be hauled away and would soon be out of sight, out of mind.

The sooner this whole incident was forgotten the better for all concerned. Better for McGee who wouldn't have doubts sown as to his own competence, maybe affecting his self confidence and productivity... and that all important squeaky clean reputation. And better for his own future political career as well. DiNozzo and Gibbs were big enough pains in his ass as it was without their obsolete ways dragging him down.

So why, if this was the best deal for everyone, or everyone with anything to lose anyway, did he feel a sense of unease? He brushed it off. He was obviously working too hard.

Vance logged off his computer and gathered his coat and briefcase. As he left his office and turned off the lights he put the whole thing in his mental file labelled case closed.

He would have to remember to get his secretary to send a get well card to DiNozzo. Couldn't have the workforce think that he was playing favorites now could he.

TBC

A/N Hope that was okay.


	6. Chapter 6

Betrayed Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Owning NCIS is on my New Years Resolution list but like most of my intentions I'm not counting on success.

A/N Yes I'm still here! Thank you all so much for your reviews, and apologies for those I didn't get to answering - New Years resolution number one, be a better review replyer- and gentle urgings for updates (I say gentle...but! Amblue you know who you are! LOL) Did plan on updating sooner but my little Ezra fic took longer than I'd planned (one shot became 4 shot) and I've been poorly (everybody say Ahhhh! - Okay so it was only a cold but you try typing through a sneezing fit!) Anyway back on track now.

A/N2 As I thought I've been made aware that Vance wouldn't be able to unilaterally sign off the evidence without going through NCIS forensics but I'm invoking artistic licence - besides it was an accident and the police department's CSI's did investigate it so a report was filed, just not necessarily by the right agency. Please indulge me on Tony's recovery too - I'm not a medical professional and non-specific leg trauma isn't easy to research ( but don't hesitate to educate me if you do know, knowledge is always of the good.)

Oh and - Happy New Year!

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He had seen worse - admittedly on one of Ducky's slabs - but at least it was still attached... unlike many a limb on Ducky's slabs. But it wasn't pretty and it , while getting better, would never be pretty again.

Pollyanna. If there was any film reference appropriate here he figured it would have to be the little girl who saw the positive side of everything. ( 1960, starring Haley Mills, Jane Wyman and Karl Malden, his inner catalogue helpfully supplied ). She would no doubt point out that it were better that scars be borne on a leg than a face, or that scars were a small price to pay for mobility; and she'd be right but that didn't make his leg any easier to look at... and anyway she'd lost her 'Pollyanna' attitude too near the end.

Tony sighed and dragged his gaze away from the still angry lines of red and black, railway tracks of flesh and stitches - he'd tried to count the stitches but gave up after he'd passed the hundred and fifty mark - and he wished that the limb could have been hidden inside a nice white cast, but despite the broken bones the leg needed to be kept uncovered. Tony was sure that the reason wasn't so much that it needed constant treatment but that the smug surgeon wanted to show off his handiwork. The man was obviously a Dr Frankenstein in the making, he'd probably wake up tomorrow with bolts through his neck.

Tony spent the next few minutes mentally cataloguing every Frankenstein movie ever made and pondering whether spoofs and bride of Frankenstein movies deserved a separate category.

The slamming open of his hospital room door and the entrance of a tall gothic tornado snapped him out of his rather maudlin reverie and his desperate attempts to keep his sorry for myself attitude at bay. Drugs and boredom were not a good combination for a DiNozzo.

Abby didn't blink at the sight of Tony's mangled limb, her surrogate big brother was alive and that was all she needed to know... well almost all.

"So spill Tony."

"Don't know what you mean Abs."

Abby grinned at the old sparkle in the deep green eyes. True the sparkle had to share house room with the pain and the misplaced guilt that had developed instantly the moment Gibbs had filled him in on the events as they knew them of the accident, but at least pain and guilt wasn't all that was there now. It had been less than seventy two hours since the crash and it was seventy two hours she didn't want to re-live ever again.

Dropping into the chair by the bed Abby put down the bag she had been carrying and fixed Tony with one of her special 'Don't mess with me' stares.

"You so do know what I mean. Why did Gibbs come charging through headquarters this morning like a bull in a crystal ball shop? Why did he spend nearly thirty minutes in Vance's lair and then leave even angrier than he went in? And why..." she paused for dramatic effect but not long enough for Tony to get a word in edgeways, "Why did he then bin a perfectly good almost full cup of coffee before storming out of the building... and where is he now because I fully expected him to have come back here." Her interrogatory tone dipped into concern as she gazed around the room that conspicuously did not contain the larger than life Agent.

Tony listened in silence, not having a lot of choice, until the coffee revelation which brought forth a gasp of disbelief. Taking this to be a gasp of pain Abby's concern immediately switched from her absent boss to her best friend.

Tony stilled the hand reaching for the call bell. "It's okay Abs, I'm fine, I was just surprised is all. It isn't every day that Gibbs ditches his coffee... that's like the earth tilting on it's axis or twinkies being declared a superfood."

Abby withdrew her arm from it's intended destination but she spent a moment casting a forensic eye over her friend and brother. Seemingly satisfied with what she found she returned to the subject that Tony had almost turned her away from.

"So what happened? One minute Gibbs is sitting by your bedside and the next he's all incredible hulk in Vance's office... "

Tony shook his head... gently: head injuries were a bitch. "I really don't know Abs... all I do know is that he took a call and tore out of here like all of his ex-wives were after him... with golf clubs."

"But..."

"He's right Abs, he doesn't know" Gibbs voice cut into Abby's objection and he braced himself in the room's open doorway for either a hug or a slap. He got both which told him that she was really worried and his own anger eased knowing that it would do neither of his 'children' any good. He proceeded to tell them what Vance had done and how his own hands were tied, at least for now.

"So that's it! How can he do that Gibbs... it's MY job to investigate the physical evidence. I mean I know that the CSI's do a great job but this is Tony and Tim we're talking about and they need ME to tell them what happened" Abby couldn't believe what Gibbs had just told them. Both Gibbs and Tony took her statement as it was meant, not that she thought herself above her forensic colleagues (although in their opinion she undoubtedly was) but that it was her responsibility because it was her family and she would be satisfied with no less. But it was Tony that spoke, his heart beginning to race at the distress his actions, even though he didn't remember them, had brought his surrogate sister. His own anxiety became obvious in his rush of words.

"Hey it's okay Abs, please don't get upset. It's not as though we don't know what happened, I mean McGee gave us most of the story and... and even forensics can't say why I was stupid enough to give chase..."

Abby's rage at being sidelined in the case... in fact at there no longer being a case... vanished at the sound of emotional turmoil and self reproach in Tony's voice. Before Gibbs could reassure his second that nobody (well except Vance) was blaming him for the accident the goth scientist was planting herself firmly, but very carefully, on the bed and was hugging the bits of DiNozzo that weren't injured. She whispered apologies and comforts into his ear until, sure that she was no longer angry, he began to relax.

While Abby was comforting the troubled Agent Gibbs watched silently. He also pressed the dosage button on the morphine pump knowing that the emotional turmoil would have physical repercussions. Vance wouldn't get away with this, he would see to that but his people were his top priority. He had made the mistake of putting revenge before loyalty to his friends, his family, before and it was an error he wouldn't make again. He may be an old dog but he could learn new tricks if he had to.

"There is one bright spot Abs..." Her glare as if to say 'why didn't you say so already?' was met with a pale imitation of the normal Gibbs smirk. "I would have told you if I'd gotten a chance" he answered the look which had the grace to become one of contrition...just. Tony's soft chuckle making them both smile a little more widely. Gibbs filled them in quickly, seeing that the morphine was doing it's work and the green eyes were beginning to droop. "I managed to convince (threaten, his subconscious amended) Vance to put the car into storage rather than be disposed of. Persuaded him that if Allington was found and it turned out to be something more than an accident it wouldn't look good if he'd destroyed the only evidence."

Abby grinned at her foxy Silver Fox. "So I can sneak in and..."

"No!" Both heads turned to the man in the bed as Tony's almost shout rang out.

"Tony?"

Gibbs remained silent as Abby's concern returned. He knew that she hadn't meant to upset him but he also knew his senior field agent better than anyone and understood that he blamed himself totally for the accident and just wanted people to acknowledge his guilt and leave him to beat himself up about it. Well maybe he did make a mistake but Gibbs doubted it and until they found that missing piece of the puzzle Tony wouldn't know any mental rest. But now wasn't the time to face his inner demons, there were still enough challenges to face, not least getting him well again.

"It'd be best to leave it for a while Abs" Seeing that Abby was torn between following up her concern over Tony and pushing the issue Gibbs inserted firmness into his tone. "Vance will soon forget all this but not yet. Best to wait and concentrate on finding Allington. Shouldn't be too difficult now that McGee is on the case. He can track anyone or anything with those computer skills of his.

N*C*I*S

Tim manoeuvred his computer mouse with a little less ease than normal even though his dominant hand wasn't the one affected by injury but he barely noticed, his mind totally taken up with what he had done and what he should do next. As to what he had done, well, of course he regretted it. He regretted his initial mistake and he regretted that Tony had been so badly injured... he had stopped by to visit and had almost passed out at the sight of his frie... his superior's injuries. Nobody had been surprised when he had paled and left after just a few minutes; no doubt they had put it down to him being a wuss. The heat of indignation that his conclusion generated helped to push aside any residual guilt. It had, after all, gone down exactly as he had thought it would. Because it had been Gibb's golden boy that had been to blame (or so they thought) it had all been swept under the carpet. Although he was aware of it deep down (he was very smart after all) McGee didn't allow it to occur that Vance's protection had been aimed at him and his own reputations and not DiNozzo's; instead he concentrated on his present task. A task that he did not want to perform but was necessary to his long term wellbeing. He erased the report that had just come in from NYPD. Someone answering Allington's description had been sighted in downtown Manhattan. He knew that it probably wasn't their suspect because the car didn't match and Allington had no links with the city but he couldn't take the risk, especially considering that a young lieutenant had walked into the building just thirty minutes ago and confessed to the murder of petty officer Adams.

He had told the LEOs in New York that their man had already been located and thanked them for their trouble. He was waiting for Gibbs to come back in and interrogate Lieutenant Cortez but she had already told them that Allington had merely set up an overseas account for them; he hadn't even known, until after the murder, that he had been an accessory to anything illegal and when he had realised he had threatened to blow the whistle and then ran when she had threatened him. It was her own actions in threatening Allington that had made Cortez give herself up. She had wanted out and her killing of Adams had been self defence. She had hated the thought that she was becoming no better than him.

This had left McGee with both a gift and a problem. Now that the killer was under lock and key and Allington was more a material witness than a perpetrator the pressure would be off, at least as far as official channels were concerned.. nothing stopped Gibbs when he got a bee under his bonnet. But now that Allington's role was discovered it heightened the mystery of why he ran from them that day. McGee figured that he could convince the others that it was possible that Allington had mistaken Tony for someone out to get him - while Tony had seen Allington through the one way glass the suspect had only seen Ziva and himself - but to do that he had to make sure that Allington remained at large. His conscience remained unexpectedly clear on that point. Allington was no danger to the public and the damage he had caused to be heaped on Tony was already done. The only danger he posed now was to a certain Probie's career and he had come too far to allow such a small issue to wreck things at this stage.

McGee jumped as he was startled out of his reverie by Ziva who had the uncanny ability to approach in total silence... Tim tried to ignore the sudden mental image of a ferocious cat and a little mouse but he wasn't aided by the piercing stare from the woman in question's gimlet eyes.

"Where have you been McGee? You have not visited Tony but once since you were released. You are giving him the impression that you hold the accident alongside him."

"Against him" McGee automatically corrected but his heart hardened a little more against his colleagues and especially against DiNozzo. No how are you Tim? Are you okay? Do you need to talk? It must have been traumatic for you. No, it was Tony this and Tony that. Tony, Tony, Tony. He had definitely made the right decision. He was the only one that was gonna watch his own back, at least while everybody else was still at the Tony pity party. Even when they were convinced that the accident was Tony's fault he was the one that got the sympathy. The uncharitable thought that DiNozzo was a bit of an attention whore snuck into his mind, his jealousy at the older Agent's natural charm and likeability, a jealousy that he had felt since the moment he had met the man who was everything he himself was not, flared. He consoled himself that although DiNozzo was more popular he was going nowhere in his life while the name Timothy McGee (or possibly Thom Gemcity) would be known and spoke of in high places. One thing was for sure, when he had his own team he wouldn't allow that kind of favoritism.

Ziva frowned at the, what was the word?, pendulum? No, petulant expression on the junior agent's face. Every instinct told her that something was, as Abby would no doubt say, hinky, but with the case coming to a conclusion and both of her friends on the mend, albeit a long road ahead for Tony, she couldn't work out what was wrong.

"Of course I don't" McGee protested, his eyes wide at her accusation. And Ziva believed him. "Everything's fine" he added and Ziva knew that that was a lie.

But why would Tim lie? Ziva wished more than at any other time that she could read her colleagues better. It was something that came naturally to both Tony and Gibbs and was a skill honed by years of practice for Ducky but for her the cultural differences put up stumbling blocks that she still had trouble negotiating - killing people was so much more straightforward but she doubted that whatever was bothering McGee would call for those particular skills.

N*C*I*S

Tony and Abby had taken the news that the lieutenant that had been briefly considered and dismissed as a suspect had in actuality confessed with the nonchalance of being on the end of years of surprises in their profession. Tony hoped that this would put an end to the whole thing. Tim still couldn't look him in the eye and he didn't blame him. But what Gibbs had told them after he had gotten the call had raised as many questions as it had answered, most intriguingly of all... if Allington was just a dumb dupe then why did he run and what did he do to warrant being chased? Because Tony couldn't think of a single reason why he would panic and give chase even if they had been made. It would have presented a danger to the public and for all his messing around and juvenile humour Tony was a seasoned professional and he put the safety of the public before anything but the most serious of situations.

"Tony, stop worrying over it. If the memory is gonna come back it will and if not... I don't care what the result was, you did nothing wrong. I know it... I know you."

Tony smiled at Abby's pep talk; he didn't know where he'd be without her, or the rest of his family. He wanted to tell her that her faith was misplaced and that he wasn't worth her loyalty but the truth was that it was only the love of his friends that was keeping him sane and he couldn't bare to lose their respect. However he knew that if he did remember what happened that day he would tell them, no matter how badly he had screwed up... because they deserved no less than his total honesty. He just hoped that he wouldn't be offering them the truth at the expense of their love. Because he could survive anything but that.

Abby could see that Tony was now beyond tired and she knew that he still had to face the physiotherapist's delicate attention so she put aside the whole business and concentrated on cheering up her big brother.

"His name's Frank, but don't worry he doesn't fart" She watched as a bemused DiNozzo took possession of the bright purple rabbit soft toy. "Press his tummy" she instructed and Tony frowned but did as he was told - always a smart move with Abby - only to be met with an incredibly infectious giggling noise.

"I didn't think that farting was appropriate for a hospital" she advised brightly.

"Of course" replied Tony as though any of that made sense.

"Sounds like someone is having fun in here, should I close my eyes?"

"Jack!"

Jackson Gibbs smiled as he was enveloped in an Abby hug but his eyes didn't leave the young man in the bed. His son had been right, Tony needed as much TLC as he did medical treatment. Well that was what he was here for... and not just for Tony; this whole thing had hit Jethro harder than he would admit: he could see the ghost of Shannon and Kelly's deaths on his son's face as he had explained how he had nearly lost Tony and Tim. And Jackson would be damned if he would watch his boy go through something like that again. He shook off the sudden attack of moroseness and beamed at a tired but thankfully alive Tony.

With all the subtlety that marked the Gibbs men Jackson took a good look at Tony's on display leg and raised an eyebrow. Tony was grateful to see no sign of disgust on his features but wondered just what the older Gibbs was going to say. He had the feeling that he wouldn't be disappointed.

"So, did you realise that if you join the dots you get an Hawaiian hula dancer?"

If Tony's laughter had a slightly hysterical tinge to it nobody commented, it was just nice to hear the sound once again coming from the battered young man.

Abby relaxed slightly as Jackson talked, filling an almost asleep DiNozzo in on the essential gossip of Stillwater. She had a feeling that everything was going to be okay. He had Gibbs, both senior and her own Fox, on his six, and Ziva Ducky and Jimmy were all there for him too. He had his family around him and that was the best medicine of all.

It didn't occur to her until much later when all was revealed that she hadn't included McGee in Tony's support system.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Betrayed chapter 7

I really cannot express adequately how moved I am by the number of positive reviews I have received for this story - over 200! Thank you so much. This is a bit of a filler chapter, a transition because the next one begins to deal with the suspicions and McGee's web beginning to unravel (although no reveal for a chapter or two - probably) Just wanted to get in a little bonding and comforting first so it's a little shorter too. Can't say I'm entirely happy with it but there's always at least one less than satisfactory chapter in any story. So sorry in advance.

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Hospitals were strange places, Tony mused as the car made it's way slowly toward Gibb's house. A person would do almost anything to avoid having to spend time within the institution's antiseptic walls and once there would do almost anything to get themselves released from their incarceration... until the reality of being back in the real world without the independence to function hits and then you just wanted to turn around and head back to the place that has suddenly become a sanctuary. He had enough experience of the routine to know that the slight panic he was feeling would soon fade and it wasn't as though he had left the medical world behind totally; he still had to return every three days for check-ups and a physio would be coming to the house every day for torture sessions.

Tony's snort at his own thoughts gained him the attention of his driver who, Tony was rather grateful to acknowledge, was not Gibbs, or even worse, Ziva. Being subjected to their style of driving while injured wasn't something he wanted to contemplate... and although he didn't remember the crash he could feel the unease of having to travel in the very cause of your injuries. No, luckily for him his driver was Jimmy Palmer... and luckily for Jimmy Tony was familiar with their route otherwise with the autopsy gremlin's sense of direction they could end up in Pennsylvania - which would be pointless because the only person he knew who lived there was at this moment at his son's house awaiting their arrival.

"You doing okay Tony?" Jimmy was honored that he had been given the task of seeing Tony safely back home... Well alright, Gibbs was in court, testifying; Jackson was at the house making final preparations; Abby was stuck at work as was Ducky and Ziva... well Ziva had un-volunteered herself citing that 'Dinozzo didn't deserve to have the fun that a ride with her would bring' They all knew that it was a way of acknowledging that her driving scared the living daylights out of anyone who had the misfortune to be her passenger and so kept from laughing at the double entendre that had made Tony's eyes widen and sparkle. Jimmy was of the personal opinion that keeping his teasing at bay was the hardest thing he'd ever seen his friend do.

And he was a friend. He had become a very good friend over the past few months and it was Gibbs recognition of that fact in giving over the safety of his very special agent to the newest addition to the family that made him both proud - and nervous as hell!

"I'm fine Jimmy... but you just missed the turning" Tony laughed softly at the yelp of dismay but was impressed as instead of panicking Jimmy made a safe turn and corrected his mistake.

The rest of the short journey was made in companionable silence but Tony was aware of the constant surveillance from the driver's seat. Normally the intrusiveness would annoy him but he knew what it was like to feel responsible for another; in his job he did it every day. His gut churned momentarily as he felt another stab of guilt at his failure to protect his probie... to actually endanger the younger agent.

"Tony?... Tony, we're here."

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry Jimmy, I was miles away for a minute there." Tony chastised himself silently for his self distraction but Jimmy merely smiled a happy grin and looking at Gibbs house - and how a nice suburban two story with flowers in the front garden could look as intimidating as it's owner he didn't know - and put his friend's mental wanderings down to the same nervousness that he himself was feeling.

"Wishful thinking?" he queried.

Tony grinned. Gibbs at work scared the trainee doctor to death so at home Gibbs would probably seem only a little less so.

"Yeah Jimmy; Hawaii with a ferrari and a hot blonde in the driveway and chilled cocktails waiting to welcome us huh?"

Jimmy relaxed slightly which was Tony's intention and as he opened the door to get the wheelchair out. He even managed a little comeback which made Tony proud - his little fledgling was coming along nicely.

N * C * I * S

Dammit DiNozzo! You need to let someone know when you're in pain, I'm not a mind reader!"

Tony wasn't so sure about that, Gibbs had this uncanny knack... "Yes Boss" he replied as he sheepishly took the proffered pill and glass of water. DiNozzo's didn't show weakness and even though most DiNozzo's didn't have to contend with a leg with more hardware in it than the family's silver collection and a physiotherapist from hell it was a hard habit to break. He slumped back against the headboard and waited for the medication to take effect.

Being injured sucked.

Gibbs shook his head in exasperation as the green eyes began to close. If there was one thing that made him angry... well there were lots of things but that was beside the point because at the top of his list was DiNozzo senior and his twisted idea of parenthood. How could a parent instil in their own, their only, child a fear of being seen as weak when they were hurting? He turned slightly at the sound of disgust from his own father and knew that their thoughts were on the same track.

"If I had a time machine..." Jackson muttered as they left the first floor bedroom that had until recently been a study.

"Have you ever met him?" Jackson asked a few minutes later as Gibbs poured from the ever full coffee pot. Gibbs didn't need to be told who the subject was.

"Once." Gibbs scowl deepened and it wasn't because the brew was too hot.

"And?" Jackson didn't let his impatience show but the upward twitch of his son's mouth told him that the man had noticed.

" Once was enough" It was a reply that Jackson took to mean that a second meeting wouldn't be one that DiNozzo senior would walk away from.

"I'd better check on him" Gibbs announced just a few minutes later as Jackson settled himself down with the crossword. He rolled his eyes and sighed. Jethro had been just the same with Kelly when she was poorly and he doubted that prodding the sleeping agent awake just to make sure that he was only sleeping was going to do his convalescence any good.

Gibbs wasn't surprised to find his arm grabbed by a gnarled but surprisingly strong hand and a sharp tug pulling him back down into his seat. He sighed and made a grab for the sports section of the paper and pretended to concentrate on the Redskins news.

Slowly the afternoon wore on and Tony slept, his already depleted energy level totally destroyed by the intense, though nowhere near as intense as it would eventually be, physio session. Even the battle hardened marine had winced more than once at witnessing just how much effort had been needed to produce so little movement. Only the knowledge that it wouldn't get better without the pain kept him from dragging the poor hapless physiotherapist off of his senior agent and throwing him out the door.

As Jackson pottered about the house, looking in on Tony every quarter hour and Gibbs worked on his boat, only pausing to make his own checks... every ten minutes the house started to fill up with those who hadn't been able to be there earlier. First to arrive was Ducky who had left the paperwork in Jimmy's capable hands after interrogating him on Tony's discharge from the hospital. Knowing that Jackson would be providing dinner he instead brought along a large box of chocolates for the sweet-toothed senior field agent. While healthy eating was to be encouraged anything that could spark Tony's appetite would be helpful. Pain and fatigue could destroy the appetite just when the body needed extra calories to heal.

Ducky slapped Abby's hand away from the unopened box of candy. He was sure that Tony would tell her to help herself but he deserved the right to be the one to open the box when he woke up!

Abby gave her Duckman a mock glare and readjusted the small cloud of black and purple balloons she had tied to the back of a dining chair, each purple balloon being decorated with the legend Get Well Soon and blending not so seamlessly with the skull and crossbones design on their black brothers. She couldn't wait for Tony to wake up; she had come too close to him never waking again and somehow when he was asleep it was like he was dead to her. Finally unable to relax she headed for his bedroom only to be waylaid by Gibbs, who seemed to have it timed down to the second just how long she would be able to stand leaving him be, and was redirected to the kitchen where, for a caf-pow reward, she was co-opted into chopping vegetables for Jackson's chicken casserole and dumplings.

N*C*I*S

Lord! Tony wished he felt well enough to appreciate all the love and attention he was being shown. He wished that he had the energy to do more than lay on the couch like the proverbial potato. He wished that he could remember those details that he knew Gibbs was desperate for but was never going to push. He wished he had never gotten into the driving seat that morn...

"Tony? Are you alright?" Ziva, the last of the arrivals hadn't liked the increasing silence of her partner. She knew that sometimes too much thinking wasn't good for him, not because he was unintelligent like some fools thought but because thinking too deeply raised demons that the secretly sensitive 'class clown' had trouble dealing with. She knew this because she had her own demons to deal with and tended to deal with them in the same way, by turning in on herself.

Tony should have been annoyed by yet another inquiry into his health but a sudden picture had flashed through his mind which didn't make any sense but chilled him nonetheless. He was in a car that he didn't recognize and he was about to open the door when the vehicle moved off. He turned to say something to the driver and...

It was gone. "Sure I'm fine Zeevah, just tired I guess. It's been a pretty long day." He smiled and put the memory, if that's what it was, to the back of his mind. It couldn't have been from the crash because he had been in the passenger seat but maybe it was trying to give him some sort of message. The doctors had said not to push any memories that came and the chill he had felt made him very much want to obey the medics for a change.

Ziva nodded but remained thoughtful as she and the others helped clear away the dinner things and leave the three men in peace. Something was not right. She may not have the experience that the others did but her 'spidey sense' as Tony insisted on calling it, was tingling.

"Thanks for coming guys and you're welcome any time you know that" Gibbs stood at the never locked front door to see his friends off, except Ducky who was giving Tony a last check-up before bed. He pulled Ziva aside as she picked up her coat.

"I'll be in by mid-morning; I want you to hold the fort and tell McGee I want a good reason why he didn't show tonight - I can understand that he went through something traumatic but Tony needs us to stand by him; he especially needs to know that McGee doesn't blame him for the crash. In fact I think we all need to know that."

Ziva nodded. She too had expected Tim to show and couldn't understand his attitude since the accident. She couldn't believe that he would hold any mistakes made by Tony against him; after all injury-wise Tim had gotten off pretty lightly and the accident hadn't stopped Vance singing his praises. It was a puzzle... and Ziva was good at puzzles.

N*C*I*S

Tim sat in his apartment, in front of his desktop, the latest, half completed novel on the screen before him. He gazed unseeingly at the blank 'white page' He hadn't written a single word. Every time he tried to portray Agent Tommy in action the sight of Tony in his hospital bed flashed in his mind. He poured himself another drink, not that it was helping much but at least it made him feel warm. He hadn't felt warm since... well since. It was these alone times that he hated the most. This was the time that he found his justifications were gossamer thin. This was the time for regrets. It wasn't like this at work. There he knew that he had made the right decision. He didn't have to look DiNozzo in the eye, didn't have Gibbs all-knowing stare bore through him like a laser beam or Ducky's solicitous behaviour reminding him of the truth - a truth that he knew deep down, that if he had admitted his mistake they would have cared enough about him to forgive him.

That was why he hadn't had the guts to attend Tony's welcome home dinner. As long as he could hang onto his self-pity and ego he could fool himself that he had this all under control, that he had done what he had to do. That he was deserving through his hard work of all that Tony seemed to get handed him on a plate.

Not that he recognized what he was feeling as self pity or that his ego was too big for his boots. He didn't realise that things were on the verge of spinning out of control or that Tony worked just as hard for the respect he received, he just did it in a different way. One thing he did realise, however, was that his ass was going to be Gibbs' when he got to work tomorrow for his non-attendance.

McGee reached for the whiskey bottle and hoped that while it was quieting his nerves it might also inspire his muse... not to embellish the further adventures of Agent Tommy but to come up with a good excuse that would satisfy his Boss. That second B wasn't called B for bastard for nothing after all.

As she was driving home Ziva worked on her puzzle. She worked on it so hard that she didn't even break the speed limit but it was no good. No matter how she approached the issue of Tim's attitude there was no good reason for his actions. She just didn't think that the Probie had good enough reason to hate Tony and in fact his contact with Tony in the hospital hadn't indicated hate, it had been more like shame or guilt but Tim had done nothing to feel guilty about. Perhaps, she mused, he was suffering survivor guilt; not that anyone had died but it was a pretty big shock to see those injuries on a friend. Ziva sped up slightly and put the puzzle back in it's box for now. She was sure that she was close but something still didn't fit and worrying at it would do no good. She would just have to wait for another clue.

Gibbs and his dad sat on the couch each nursing an irish coffee and talking about nothing in particular. It was a situation that both could appreciate since after Shannon and Kelly's deaths they had come so close to losing that connection. It also made them appreciate every one of their extended family.

"McGEE! NOOO, DON'T!"

Both men moved quickly to the spare bedroom. It wasn't the first time that Tony had awoke from a nightmare screaming McGee's name and they doubted that it would be the last. The only thing they couldn't figure was what Tony didn't want Tim to do.

TBC

A/N Well, hope that was okay. I've begun to set things up for the denouement but there's still a little way to go...more recovering Tony, more clues for Ziva and will Abby be able to stay away from the evidence? hmmm.


	8. Chapter 8

Betrayed chapter 8

Disclaimer: I once went on a cruise and that is my only connection with anything nautical... the navy was not involved and as far as I'm aware no crimes were committed (except possibly the food... it was a school cruise, not exactly the QE2).

A/N Once again thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope that this chapter pleases you - just two little warnings now that we are about to enter the home stretch (not the last chapter though, still some way to go) For those who want bloody retribution on McGee, it won't happen (though I won't rule out a little aggression) I don't think that any of the characters would be outright hospitalizingly violent and I don't want to stretch characters that far - I've pushed it enough already; and for those who want Tim accepted back into the fold with apologies and a group hug - well that ain't gonna happen either because he's way past forgiveness now and that would ring just as false as the previous scenario.

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Tony had been 'home' for just long enough to decide that Gibbs couch had become his favourite object in the whole wide world if only for the fact that placing his butt, the only part of him that didn't hurt, incidentally, upon it meant that the morning physio session was over for another day. And as he eased himself down with the help of his boss who as usual brushed away his apologies - which was not the same in any way as actually apologising - and breathed a deep sigh he pondered that if anyone had told him that getting better could hurt worse than getting injured before his accident he would have laughed in their face. But the truth was throbbing away to beat the band with a melodic counter balance of shooting and stabbing pains from his ankle to mid-thigh. He swallowed the vicodin proffered without protest, the trip out plus the physio's not so gentle administrations had robbed him of all rebellion, he didn't even have the strength to take his jacket off. His instincts, however, were still intact if a little hair trigger and he ducked as a large and calloused hand swept towards his head. The expected headslap didn't materialise and instead a gentle hand was placed on his forehead and his ducking motion morphed into a confused jerk.

"You're warm. I think I should call Ducky."

A different sort of warmth filled Tony at the unexpected show of concern. Shows of concern were hardly a regular fixture in DiNozzo junior's life and a part buried deep inside relished the moment and tucked it away in a special place of memories.

Worried suddenly that he had allowed his weakness to show he put on a grin and moved his head away. Besides, being fussed over by members of the medical profession wasn't acceptable, not even Ducky... well not unless he put on that manipulative grandfatherly concern that was all the more devastating because it was totally genuine. The one that he suspected was honed on the poor unfortunate occupants of his slab. Sneaky.

"It's okay Boss, my physio said that the new exercises could cause a low-grade fever. But it was worth it, see..." He moved his leg up slightly, very slightly, but it WAS mobility and Tony reasoned that it would be even more if it weren't for all the hardware encasing and screwed into the flesh. He couldn't help but think that a nice white cast would look a lot more classy and clean than the brace which made his leg look like a building under construction. Gibbs hid his anxiety at the obvious effort expended and the resultant beads of sweat on the already overheated brow. But he had to admit that it was an improvement and a minor miracle that there was a leg there to see move.

"That's great Tony, but it's enough for today. Exercising in a pool may take the weight off your limbs but they still had quite a workout."

"Yeah... and I stink of chlorine."

Gibbs smiled at the flash of the old Tony: he'd be demanding to work out in Armani sweats next, in a pool of Evian water no doubt.

"Well how about I help you to the shower while we wait for those pills to work and then you take a nap till lunch. I have to go into work this afternoon and you can watch some DVDs or fleece Dad at scrabble till I get back?"

Tony knew that the 'suggestion' of rest was, in fact, an order but he had more sense than to argue. He did have a question though, not that he was keen to ask it.

"Have you talked to MCGee yet? Any idea why he's avoiding m... us?" Tony quickly changed his wording but by the look of irritation on the older agent's face he hadn't been fooled.

"Yes, I've spoken to him." The answer was short and distinctly on the snappy side but that wasn't what made Tony wince, neither was it the pain which was rapidly being smothered by a blanket of narcotics, as was his brain. To be 'spoken to' by Gibbs was an experience you didn't forget in a hurry, although Tony secretly preferred a Gibbs tongue lashing to that stony indifference that made you feel two inches tall and completely worthless. He tried to concentrate on Gibbs words as his eyelids began to droop; he felt there must be a rule somewhere on falling asleep while the boss was talking.

"I asked him why he hadn't seen fit to stop by, whether he blamed you for the accident - which he denied - and whether he was still suffering trauma from the crash, which he also denied." Gibbs gentle covering of his special agent with a soft blanket was at odds with the clipped tone of his voice and it made Tony smile inside.

"Y'u b'lieve 'im?"

Gibbs shook his head slightly at the sleepy voice but his features returned to their serious set as he answered the question before he lost his audience.

"He didn't stammer, stutter or shuffle so yes I believe him... but there's something. Just can't put my finger on it."

A soft snore was his only response.

"Looks like you'll have to take a raincheck on that shower... son."

"You think maybe one day you could tell him that when he isn't asleep or unconscious?"

"Dad!" Gibbs protested tiredly as he acknowledged Jackson's presence, not that his father's entrance a moment or two before had been particularly stealthy - no point with a marine sniper for a son.

"I know son." And indeed Jackson did know the strength of feelings that his son had for the young man; he also knew how difficult it was for the emotionally scarred man to admit them. Jackson smiled though because even to say it out loud at all was some sort of progress and, not that he would wish even slight injury on the young Italian, he had hopes that this incident would eventually bring them much closer together.

One of the things Gibbs liked most about his relationship with his father was that neither of them minded just sitting quietly. Neither had the need to fill the silence with babble just for the sake of it. Gibbs took the opportunity to reflect on his conversation, for want of a better, or at least more socially acceptable, word with McGee. Having checked with Ziva that his computer expert had not, even with her more persuasive skills, produced a satisfactory reason for his non-attendance at their welcome home dinner - Ziva had gone so far as to describe the probie's attitude as arrogant and zippy, which Gibbs took to mean snippy, a major shock for the ex-Mossad agent who had even employed her paperclip threat to no avail, he had confronted the man himself and was surprised and a little uneasy at the new attitude displayed by the normally respectful and nervy agent.

Not that McGee hadn't come a long way since his transfer to Gibbs' team. The bundle of insecurities had begun to mature into a confident and assured field agent; a fact that Gibbs was proud to acknowledge was largely down to Tony. Not that the DiNozzo method of training was in any way conventional - definitely not in the handbook - but was an eclectic mix of tough love, teasing and praise coupled with a more sibling rivalry approach than superior to junior agent, a milder form of his own technique, not that Tony was reticent in throwing McGee's probie status at him on a regular basis. Gibbs would have been annoyed if his senior agent hadn't. The hated epithet kept a young agent on his or her toes and prevented their newfound experience going to their head and doing more harm than good. That could have disastrous consequences.

It had appeared that Tim had learned his probationary lessons well and had become an agent that was another credit to NCIS. Until now.

The Timothy McGee that he had confronted in the bullpen was not a man he recognised.

**NCIS Bullpen the previous afternoon**

"McGee, report."

Tim had been awaiting this moment all day, ever since Ziva had given him a hard time but unlike his alcohol fueled confusion of the night before he was now on firmer ground. This was where he was at his strongest and most confident. Not out in the field where the variables conspired to confuse him but surrounded by computers and plasma screens with their reassuring hum and click. And with Vance in his office as his back-up. He was still glowing, in fact, at the memory of the director personally greeting him on his return, and doing it in front of everyone had sent a message of official approval. Knowing that he had such high ranking support was enough to bolster him when faced with a pissed off Gibbs. Yes he had made mistakes, bad ones, but he had corrected or covered them all by himself; unlike Tony he didn't need the mighty Gibbs to pull his ass out of the fire.

"Boss?" He had expected Gibbs to give him a headslap and a verbal dressing down, not ask for a status report... perhaps Gibbs hadn't viewed the previous nights absence with the same intensity as Ziva - Ziva could be a little judgmental sometimes. "Um, right Boss, report... well we're still looking into reported sightings of Allington but he seems to have gone deep underground, all BOLO's have co..." McGee tailed off at the look of irritation on Gibbs' face.

"Not that report McGee" Seeing that his probie looked confused he shook his head in disgust and beckoned him toward the elevator. "My office McGee."

Being shut in a confined space without camera surveillance with Leroy Jethro Gibbs in a bad mood was most certainly not on McGee's to do list but while he had felt secure in his superiority in an almost empty bullpen the sheer power and force of the former marine's personality was a different thing entirely.

Later Gibbs would reflect that the elevator was the moment that he had known that something was wrong but at that moment he just wanted a simple answer to a simple question.

"Why McGee? Do you blame Tony for the crash? Do you remember him doing something wrong? Is that why you didn't turn up to dinner?" Gibbs prayed that McGee's answers would be in the negative. He couldn't have two agents at loggerheads because of a personal incident and he couldn't entertain the thought that Tony had made a rookie mistake - he was too good for that, and the guilt would destroy him. He was relieved at the reply he received, but not as reassured as he should have been; he just couldn't work out why.

"No Boss. I don't blame Tony. I don't remember him making any mistakes and he was hurt the worst so I certainly don't bear any hard feelings." Tim made sure to look Gibbs in the eye as he spoke. Gibbs was big on that sort of thing and while he couldn't lie and misdirect like Tony could he had learnt a thing or two along the way and he was, after all, telling the truth, just not the whole truth. Gibbs' internal lie detector wouldn't find fault with his comments. It gave the younger agent a feeling of sudden power to realise that he had managed to read how his Boss would react in any given situation. He was as good as any of them and better than some.

"Then why?" Gibbs was unsettled which was... well, unsettling. He wasn't used to prising information out of his probie like a lobster out of it's shell. McGee was often stumbling and confused in his replies but not actively obtuse.

McGee was ready for this moment. A part of him said that this was his last opportunity to confess and throw himself on Gibbs mercy but all the parts of him that held any ambition, pride and sense of self preservation were steering him further ahead on the course he had already set. He thought of the terrible sight of Tony's mangled flesh and of Gibbs unforgiving nature. He also thought of his possible future behind the desk in the office upstairs and the pride and approval of his family. The choice in the end was simple.

"I'm sorry Boss. I guess it's just that I DIDN'T get hurt that bad and Tony did. How can I face him knowing that I got off so lightly? I guess I just didn't think of how not turning up could look. I didn't mean any disrespect." Everything he had said was true - it was just slanted to be read from a different perspective. McGee could feel beads of sweat forming on his brow but he didn't flinch as he stood straight and tall, looking Gibbs in the eye.

Seconds passed and Gibbs didn't move. McGee resisted the urge to smile. The fact that he was still standing and not a broken heap on the carpeting of the elevator was a sign that he had won. He had fooled Gibbs! The great and invincible Gibbs was only human! Somehow McGee felt slightly cheated by that but also grateful.

Gibbs nodded sharply once and then flicked the switch to re-start the elevator. Once back in the bullpen he dismissed McGee to lunch and sat at his desk ostensibly to go through his correspondence but in reality to regain his equilibrium. Something had been distinctly off about that interview. It all fit the facts and he was sure that McGee wasn't lying to him. He could even understand the survivor guilt, not that anyone had died thank God, but what he couldn't understand was why the whole thing had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He stabbed at his computer in an attempt to retrieve his emails and watched as the whole list suddenly vanished into the ether. He sighed. He needed coffee.

N*C*I*S

Abby sat in her lab absently twirling her chair round and round, the Marilyn Manson music in the background unexpectedly melodic against her usual 'Zombie Brain Suckers'. Major Mass Spec was whirring away but she didn't pay it much attention. It was a routine test in a routine case that had already been solved bar the physical evidence. No, Abby Scuito's sharp and inquisitive brain was engaged on quite another case; a case that wasn't even hers to investigate. Wasn't anyone's in fact, thanks to Vance. She glared at nothing in particular and gave her Caf-Pow an extra hard suck followed by a few moments bubble blowing with the straw. The resulting raspberry-like sound emulating what she would like to say to their bastard of a boss... and she didn't mean her silver fox.

"You seem unduly thoughtful."

Ziva patted Abby hard on the back to stem the coughing fit that had come of suddenly inhaling her drink.

"I am sorry Abby; I did not mean to startle you."

Abby smiled as her choking died down. "That's okay Ziva, I sucked when I thought I was blowing. You just surprised me is all."

Ziva nodded at the acceptance of her apology. Abby was the one she was still most uncertain around. They hadn't gotten off to the best of starts but she had come to learn that once Abby's respect had been earned then friendship and loyalty were freely given. But that initial respect wasn't easily earned and she had made her fair share of mistakes - big ones, especially when she was still under the yoke of Mossad and her father. But her final choice of loyalty to Gibbs had been the deal-maker as far as the goth scientist had been concerned.

"Is something wrong? Have you heard anything negative about Tony?"

"What? Oh no, no Ziva; last I heard Tony was doing well... in a lot of pain still but you know Tony, he's in good spirits; nothing keeps him down for long."

Ziva relaxed slightly and took a seat on a stool next to Abby whilst politely refusing a suck on her power drink straw. "Indeed, with Tony it is always up."

After another coughing fit Abby mock glared at Ziva, narrowing her eyes and pointing an accusing black nailed finger.

"You did that on purpose!"

Ziva gave the slightly smirking lab girl an innocent smile. "I meant that his spirit is always up Abby; what did you think I meant?"

Any reply that Abby might have made was deflected by the beeping of Major Mass and they switched subjects as she documented the entirely predictable results.

"So" enquired Ziva, returning to her initial question, "Why were you so thoughtful earlier? Was it to do with Anthony?"

"You too huh?"

"There is something, as you would say, hinky, I think. But I cannot see what. I do not like that everything has been tied up so neatly and so quickly..." Ziva frowned and Abby waited while the Israeli agent marshalled her thoughts. So far they seemed to be on similar tracks. "These things are usually messier, even accidents take time to reconstruct, if only for insurance purposes and with Tony unable to remember..."

"You would have thought that the physical evidence would be even more important" finished Abby.

Ziva nodded. She had a question for Tony's best friend but wasn't keen on asking it... or sure of surviving the fallout.

"He didn't do anything bad" Abby supplied as she correctly read the look on her latest friend's face.

"How can you be sure when even Tony doesn't remember?"

Abby didn't take offence at the question. It was a fair one and Ziva didn't know Tony like she did. She figured that Ziva needed a lesson in Tony 101.

"Tony would happily throw himself off a cliff to save someone. He would risk his lungs diving in a freezing Potomac to pull people out of a car. He would and has put himself in front of a bullet meant for another."

"I don't understand? I know these things but what..."

Abby smiled a wide and slightly scary smile as her pigtails bounced. "Would someone who would do those things risk his partner and innocent civilians in a high speed chase in a rainstorm?"

Ziva shook her head in agreement. "So what DID happen?"

"Something big. Something that would make those risks worthwhile. There must have been something terrible going down for Tony to take that risk." Abby frowned and glared at Ziva who looked equally disconcerted. "And Vance has left Allington running around and locked away the evidence that could tell us what he did to trigger that chase!"

Ziva pursed her lips and took a few moments to make sure that she understood Abby correctly. "So what you are saying is that to give Tony and Tim peace of mind it would be advisable to gain access to that evidence that Director Vance, for some reason, doesn't want us to see?"

Abby spun round 360 degrees and her wicked smile coincided with a particularly violent explosion of screeching metal music.

"Oh yeah!"

TBC

Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter sees more recovering Tony, breaking and entering Ziva and Abby and ... well I'm sure I'll think of something! Oh and I only got positive reviews this time - Am I doing something wrong ? LOL


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I only own as much as any other NCIS fan does... our hopes dreams and perverted desires to do harm to our boys (and girls if you are so inclined)

A/N Sorry for the delay. I did warn you that I was a useless updater! But I also study with the Open University (a British distance learning thing) and courses started in February - Shakespeare this year, 9 plays in 9 months! And that's my main reason for not answering all your reviews. But I appreciated every one of them, they have given me much support and a couple of ideas which if I use will of course be credited to their owners.

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"I CAN'T DO IT!"

The cry was almost visceral; the pain not just physical, although Gibbs knew that pain brought with it it's own level of fatigue. But most of all the cry was one of frustration and Gibbs resisted the urge to smile; a frustrated Tony was a Tony that was getting better. It didn't stop a part of him wanting to give in to the pleas of the last couple of minutes to finish, to wave a magic wand and make everything okay again, but no Gunny worth his salt would leave one of his men when he needed help and tough love was exactly what Tony needed right now.

"You can do it Tony, you've come this far, only a few reps to go and then you can rest." He kept his voice calm but implacable and ignored the glare that his senior field agent sent his way.

"Dammit Gibbs..."

"Do you want to be relying on that thing for the rest of your life?" Gibbs jerked his head to indicate the walker that sat a few feet away and noted the look of loathing that the green eyes expressed toward the aluminium frame. It had only been a couple of days since the frame had been welcomed with joy by his agent, a mark of progress and freedom from the dreaded wheelchair.

Tony's glare gave him all the answer he needed and he gave a sharp nod in reply before calling out the count of a final set of reps that, as they knew it would, left Tony drenched with sweat and with his teeth ground so hard together to stop any further sound escaping that he was likely to need dental work at the end of all this. Gibbs worked hard to keep the neutral expression on his face. The actual exercises that the physio had instructed them to perform were quite gentle and the resultant and out of proportion pain had made Gibbs want to hunt down the monster responsible and exact his own form of justice... except the only monster was fate, or blind bad luck. With a sigh he pushed such thoughts back where they belonged and concentrated on the task at hand.

Tony hated this... well most of it. He hated the pain and the uncertainty. Sure they had assured him that he would recover given time but unless it was needed for a case patience had never been his strongest asset. He hated how nice everyone was being to him; well, no, of course he didn't hate his friends being nice to him, he just didn't like that they were doing it because he was ...was...he was weak dammit! There he'd admitted it if only in his own head. What was worse though was the knowledge that Gibbs could see his weakness, not that he'd ever say anything but...but it was Gibbs! And now?... Oh joy! His boss, the man he respected more than any other in his life was going to help him take a bath. Tony wondered if embarrassment was a terminal condition.

N*C*I*S

"You cannot wear that."

Ziva's tone was as uncompromising as her expression and Abby pouted before looking down at herself. She couldn't see what the fuss was. In fact she thought she had done a pretty good job of making herself all stealthy and mission impossible-y. True, Tom Cruise had never. to her knowledge anyway, wore black tights decorated with little black on black skulls & crossbones - although what he got up to in his private life was none of her business. But to her eye it was really understated and coupled with the short black skirt and the plain-ish long sleeved tee... the dripping fang design was a very dark red and hardly noticeable... she would be an invisible denizen of the night; and if the camouflage make up bore more than a little resemblance to a Michael Jackson Thriller video, well call it artistic licence.

"Why not?" however, was her only comment; she knew better than to argue with a trained Mossad assassin, especially one who carried as many hidden weapons as Ziva. Abby noted without admitting it that the Agent's plain black ensemble and ski hat looked pretty deadly. And on the subject of ski hats just what made Ziva's more acceptable than hers anyway? Just because it didn't have a pom pom!

Ziva resisted the urge to scream and break things... she had her eye on major mass spec and was gratified to see the lab tech pale at the realisation - well pale as much as she could see under the artistic but thoroughly inappropriate make-up. Sometimes it was hard to remember that for all their intelligence and bravery her colleagues were mere babies in her world. And her world was where they were about to descend to. She felt the thrill of excitement that undercover ops brought out in her and the one thing she missed working for NCIS. Yes they did undercover operations but it was a different casserole...pot?...tagine?...oh whatever... of fish from black ops. And while this was hardly a seek and destroy mission it was more than slightly illegal and vital to the wellbeing of her friends which made it one of the most important missions of her career.

Dragging her thoughts back to the outrageous outfit her goth friend was sporting... and her mind really didn't want to go back there... she merely sighed and endeavoured to explain the difference between covert activities and halloween.

"Abby, your outfit is... stunning" At that Abby bounced up and down, a random pig tail escaping the ski hat and dancing with the dangly pom pom - this wasn't going to be easy. "But it is... to be quite frank Abby it is you. It could never be anybody but you and that is just what you must not be."

Abby frowned and sighed and wished she had a Caf Pow to suck on."I don't get it. I'm all black and stealthy, nobody will see me."

Ziva thanked God that Abby had unwittingly given her the opening she needed to explain; she was beginning to fear that they would be here all night.

" No, if all things go to plan that is true we will not be seen. But Abby one has to assume that things will not go to plan..."

"The best laid plans of mice and men" Abby offered and Ziva decided not to pursue the planning capabilities of rodents and merely nodded before continuing.

"And if things do go wrong and we are seen but not caught?"

Abby resisted the urge to laugh at Ziva's complete inability to entertain the thought of a failure as total as capture... and she surely wouldn't bet against anything the Agent put her mind to. She also thought she was beginning to see Ziva's point and had a feeling that she was going to look a bit of a fool. She wasn't going to face that until she had to though.

"Ummm..."

"They will see..." Ziva elucidated "... an ambiguous figure in black" she indicated herself. "And... Abby Scuito dressed in black. It would not take a genius to put two and two together and associate the DiNozzo crash car with DiNozzo's best friend.""Oh."

Ziva took pity on the other girl who had deflated and was now looking rather uncomfortable.

"You could not be expected to know these things. You would not expect me to know how to run trace, yes? It would not make me look stupid in your eyes that I was unable to do so, no?"

"Of course not! It's not your specialit...oh!" Abby blushed and was glad that the make-up had some good use to prevent her embarrassment from being obvious. She took the opportunity offered to gloss over the whole thing and put on her professional 'scientist' voice.

"So what can I do to dress appropriately?"

Ziva wasn't omniscient but she did have a feeling that the outrageous goth would need a little help with her wardrobe; she doubted that the woman possessed anything plain and simple. Lifting the only incongruously coloured item on her person, a bright yellow plastic carrier bag she removed a pair of black trousers and a black t-shirt and hooded jacket along with some professional blacking and a plain ski cap - black of course.

After another half hour they were finally ready to go. Abby had transferred her kit from a hard silver case to a small black backpack and had removed all tell-tale signs of Abbishness. She did, however, manage to grab a caffeine laden power drink on the way out because neither of them wanted an Abby with withdrawal symptoms tonight. As they pulled up in front of the part of the impound yard where they stored the larger items of evidence Abby wondered if the icy rain had been snow would Ziva have made her dress all in white? She shivered at the mental image... the bride of Frankenstein meets frosty the snowman! Oh well anything for her friends and Tony and Tim needed answers, they all did. The tension in her little family was high and while part of that was understandable... because Tony had nearly died and she nearly died every time she saw him struggling his way back to health... part of it wasn't. Tim, for one, was different and sure a near-death experience could do that but wasn't it supposed to make a person either hyper with the joy of being alive or depressed at their near miss. It had, instead, made Tim colder, more driven, less elf lord and more ... more like Vance. Abby's sudden shiver had nothing to do with the freezing cold.

N*C*I*S

Tony wasn't bored although he kinda wished he was, because if he were bored it would mean that he was feeling somewhat like his normal self. Instead he felt... well pain, but that had become the norm lately as had the brain befuddlement of the painkillers. It was more than that... a sort of unease, like he had checked out an apartment but still had the feeling that the perp was somewhere near. They hardly ever were of course, although there was that time in Peoria... He sighed forcefully and shook his head in frustration. That was another thing that kept happening, his mind kept wandering away from the point; it was almost as though it didn't want him to find out what he presumably already knew. And, okay, that was way too deep for him... more Ducky or Tim's territory.

Perhaps he should just take a nap. But that was something that Tony had come to dread. Nightmares he was used to. Any cop or Fed had nightmares; you couldn't see as much death and evil as they did without paying some sort of price. But his dreams weren't exactly nightmares, more nightmarish puzzles. Images and sounds that didn't make sense but that he knew should. It was said that dreams were the mind's way of making sense of life or of sorting through the day's events. Well, hell, most of his days lately were pretty routine. Wake up ... painkillers ... breakfast...antibiotics...physio...painkillers...nap...lunch...and repeat from above, replacing lasagne for cereal. Tony felt himself begin to drift into sleep despite his best intentions. Well he just hoped that his dreams would make a little more sense this time.

N*C*I*S

"What's that?" Abby's whisper, Ziva mused, could probably wake the dead.

"Shhh!"

"Sorry!" Abby winced at Ziva's admonition. Still, it was a valid question she thought because hey, who brought a packed lunch to a break-in? And since when did the Israeli eat raw meat... was that even kosher? Lowering her voice she persisted "Why the raw steak? You going to invite the guards for a cookout?"

"Do you honestly think that the government would waste taxpayers money on guarding a glorified junkyard?"

"But..."

"With humans." Ziva could almost see the penny drop.

"I really wish you hadn't said that" Abby could have kicked herself. Drugging guard dogs was standard movie practice, although...

"Aren't they trained to not eat random offerings?" She hated to question Ziva's methods but she hated the thought of being torn to shreds by the hound of the Baskervilles even more. She was relieved to see that Ziva wasn't upset by her question but more than a little startled by the item she was holding in her steakless hand.

"Ziva!"

"Shhh! It is only a tranquiliser gun. The dogs will not eat the meat but they will investigate it... unless you would rather act as a decoy and lead them on a festive chase while I do all the work?"

"Sorry."

"Fine" Ziva accepted Abby's apology and began the breaking part of the breaking and entering and if her actions with the wire cutters were a little more vicious than normal at the muttered 'it's a merry chase' then at least there was no-one to notice since Abby was standing well behind her friend. Abby assured herself as she put Ziva in front of her that dobermans would be no match for Mossad.

N*C*I*S

McGee stepped from Vance's office in a daze. He couldn't believe it! He had presumed that they would do without a Senior Field Agent until, or if, Tony returned. But though he suspected that would suit Gibbs fine Vance had other ideas and had given him the opportunity he had been waiting for since joining NCIS. Vance had told him not to let him down and he wouldn't. As stepping stones to the Director's chair went it was hardly a tricky transition; he had already spotted several ways to update, streamline and improve the working of the team and now he had the chance to show Vance, and Gibbs, what he was made of. And despite his recent disillusionment with his boss he did still want to impress Gibbs. A frown came over his features as he realised the futility of that desire. Gibbs was old school... that was why DiNozzo had been good enough in the role until now. He shook the feeling off, a regular habit by now, as he moved to his desk. It didn't matter anyway; he had Vance behind him and the Director was going places. The only direction Gibbs was heading to was retirement. And Tim was young, he could wait.

N*C*I*S

"Oh man! How could they have survived this?" Abby's voice wavered as she viewed the burnt out shell of the car for the first time. She didn't expect an answer as Ziva was outside the door of the shed where the vehicle was being stored keeping watch why she did her thing. Although actually collecting evidence wasn't exactly her thing. Even before she got started she had the feeling that something was wrong but she didn't have time for sightseeing. Instead she photographed from every angle possible, scraped samples and swabbed surfaces; quickly labelling and bagging the samples for later study. Only the fear of contaminating the evidence kept her tears from falling. How could fate have put her boys through this hell? She sniffed and made a mental note to ask Ziva to add covert handkerchiefs to her required items list. She knew where they sold black ones. She also vowed to get the answers to questions they didn't know to ask from this night. Her family was hurting and she wouldn't stand for it. Screw fate! She had the NCIS family on her team... and several nuns who were at this minute praying for her success, and it wasn't every day nuns prayed for a successful B&E!

Ziva was surprised that the enterprise had gone so smoothly so far, not that she would relax until they were back at base. But the dogs had been neutralized with ease and if she had drugged the meat she wouldn't have had to use the dart gun: They really didn't feed their dogs enough she mused; the overgrown puppies had devoured the steak in seconds. The security cameras were laughably simple to disable and the lock on the shed had been childsplay... she would have to put in a report to Gibbs when all this was over. This sort of laxness would not be tolerated in Israel. As she automatically scanned the immediate area she pushed down the foreboding that this night, far from making things better would make things worse. That inner voice told her that this was what needed to be. Maybe but she didn't have to like it.

Abby knew that she was running out of time she just hoped that she had gotten enough because she knew that she was unlikely to get a second chance. She held onto that worrying thought because it wasn't as bad as the feeling that the evidence she had retrieved didn't gel with the crime scene report. That was something that she didn't want to face, not yet.

N*C*I*S

Tony slept fitfully but his whimpers and moans went unheard by his carers. Gibbs was at work and Jackson was in the basement working on the boat. An awake Tony would be pleased that his 'weakness' as he saw it had remained unobserved but asleep the only thing he was aware of was the scenario playing out in his head.

The driving rain.

The tail lights of the suspects car.

The look of horror on McGee's face as he lost control of the car...

Tony's eyes went wide as he woke and his body shot upright as the piercing image of his broken dream remained vivid in his mind. He didn't even feel his ribs protest at the sudden movement.

"Oh God! God Tim, what the hell did you do?" His tortured whisper cut through the air like a knife. It was a memory, he knew it. A memory sharper than any blade and harsher than any bullet.

What the hell was he going to do now?

TBC

A/N really hope you enjoyed that.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

Disclaimer...Nope.

A/N A little later than I planned, as usual, but I hope you consider the wait worth it. Just a reminder that there is a story out there based on this one. It's Life in Reverse by Jackilee and I thought it was really great so I can heartily recommend giving it a read. It's a sort of optional epilogue and doesn't entirely fit with my story but definitely keeps to the spirit of it. Also apologies for the lack of reply to reviews; there were just too many to cope with (and I never thought I'd ever say that when I posted my first ever story! ) But thank you so very much. Especially those who had constructive comments to make. Anyway, on with the story.

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Tony DiNozzo had been through more pain lately than he thought a body could cope with but this... this was beyond his comprehension. He wanted to run, to get in his car and drive off the end of the earth... and wasn't that an irony? He wanted to run when he couldn't even make it to the bathroom without a walking frame and the two steps from Gibbs front door down to the path might as well have been the north face of the Eiger.

Tim McGee, his probie, his friend, had betrayed him.

Had betrayed the team.

Why?

He clutched a cushion to his middle partly in an effort to halt the pain that his sudden inability to draw an even breath caused and part in self comfort. Real comfort lay just a level away in the basement with Jackson but he couldn't... he just couldn't. He had to figure this out. Had to work out what he had done to cause Tim to do this. Was he that bad an SFA? that bad a friend... was his father right that day when he was twelve and DiNozzo Senior had told him that he would end up destroying not only his own life but the lives of those around him. That nobody would respect a loser. Was that it? Was that why Tim had lied? And what the hell did he do now?

GIBBS!

An already pale DiNozzo lost what little color he had as he realised that he would have to tell Gibbs.

"No! no no" He rocked back and forth slightly, his damaged ribs allowing him only limited movement but his mind was far away chasing down scenarios as remorselessly as he would a suspect.

Don't tell Gibbs at all. That thought tempted him but he almost laughed at the futility of it. Gibbs would know something was up and besides cover-ups never ended well.

Tell Gibbs now... yeah right. Call the man up while you can't run interference. Tell a man known for his temper that one of his team had...had...he squeezed the cushion tighter as his brain refused to acknowledge what for him was the worst betrayal of all... to betray himself hurt more than he could say but to betray Gibbs!.

'Think Tony Think!'

'Don't think...forget, forget you ever remembered'

"Yeah right." he mumbled as his self comforting rocking continued. "So now I'm Jason Bourne?"

Tony had no idea how long he sat there, the thoughts rushing through his head; memory mixed up with waking nightmare until they became a cacophony of questions with no answers.

"Hey, hey Tony, you okay?...Tony?"

Jackson hadn't realised just how long he'd been distracted down in the basement, no wonder his son spent so much time down there. But his stomach had reminded him that it was time for food and so he had found himself feeling guilty that he hadn't kept a better eye on his charge.

The panicked figure who seemed completely out of it was not the quiet, rather tired but fairly upbeat man he had left.

"Tony?"

The sudden sharpness of the voice broke through Tony's mental tsunami and without so much as a heartbeat of hesitation he slipped into his normal default setting.

"Hey Jackson! Sorry about that, bit of a flashback y'know. Was told to expect them but they still come outta left field. Just wonder why I never get re-runs of the hot dates I've had"

Jackson's eyebrow rose giving away the source of his son's own trademark expression. The senior Gibbs had heard of Tony's 'mask' but this was the first time that he had ever seen it slip into place. It was impressive and almost unbearably sad. What sort of life gave you both the ability and the need for such a thing. He also knew that he wasn't being told the whole truth or even the half of it but he had enough experience dealing with another closed hearted man that he didn't dare press for that truth. He simply nodded and asked the younger man what he'd like for lunch. The relieved smile he received in return somehow didn't make him feel any easier. Something was wrong and the feeling that worse was to come was too strong to deny. But then that was what he was there for. And he was up for the challenge... he hoped.

Tony's decision was made in the split second after he heard Jackson's concerned voice. He would tell Gibbs, but not yet. There was someone he had to talk to first, before Leroy Jethro, second 'B' for Bastard Gibbs took control as indeed he would as soon as he found out the truth. He needed to speak to the one man who could tell him what he had done to deserve this. Or maybe what he hadn't done to prevent it...or...who was he kidding! He had no idea what he had done or not done. The only thing that never occurred to him was that the blame might not be his . It was a fault that drove his friends to distraction sometimes and it wasn't a trait he was particularly proud of but it was nonetheless a part of him and it was, at the moment, firmly in control.

N*C*I*S

Abby laid all her evidence out on the table at the far end of the lab, the one furthest away from prying eyes, especially eyes belonging to silver foxes, and gazed at it, allowing the broad picture to wash over her mind. It was a picture that had given her nightmares enough already since the accident and actually seeing the mangled and burned out car hadn't helped even if it had confirmed her opinion that to still have her two friends, her boys, with her, was a miracle. Abby took one last look at the little bags, bigger bags, tubes,vials and digital photos and then slammed on the Marilyn Manson and the latex gloves and set to work.

N*C*I*S

Vance took an extra Tylenol and swilled it down with his rapidly cooling cup of camomile tea. His wife had told him that camomile calmed a person down but he didn't rate the little yellow flowers powers over an irate Gibbs fury... which was why he'd added a large shot of brandy to the mix. To say that Gibbs had been unimpressed with his possibly temporary or possibly permanent promotion of McGee to Senior Field Agent was an understatement but he hadn't allowed himself to be walked over although he couldn't help but think that his life would go a lot easier if he had. He sighed as he waited for the pills to work their magic.

He just couldn't understand what it was about DiNozzo that inspired such feelings from a man as hard to please as Gibbs. He knew what it was about the young Agent that didn't impress him as a Director... his lack of deference to authority, or any authority other than Gibbs anyway; his seeming lack of discipline; his lack of cutting edge technological skills and his sheer juvenile behaviour sprang to mind. He was the opposite in every way that mattered to McGee. True, he had more experience in the field than the Probie but he was nine years older so that was to be expected. He sighed again as he turned his desk light out in preparation to leave; perhaps some mysteries weren't meant to be solved but although he wouldn't admit it to anyone other than the family dog his own attitude was worrying him. He may have his issues with Gibbs but he respected the man and if Gibbs thought that DiNozzo deserved such loyalty then there was a chance that the ex marine was seeing something that he wasn't. And not seeing part of the picture, maybe an important part, was an unknown quantity that didn't set well.

"Dammit DiNozzo! Even off sick you're a pain in my ass!" He suspected that all the Tylenol in the world wouldn't cure that particular pain.

N*C*I*S

McGee closed his cell phone and his brow furrowed. Why would Tony want to talk to him in private? He experienced a momentary panic that Tony had remembered but he quickly dismissed it. He knew the statistics of head injury induced amnesia, he had looked them up, and the window for complete memory retrieval had passed although only just. It was possible that he was experiencing fragmentary flashbacks, however, and they obviously wouldn't be making much sense given that the accepted story and the reality didn't match up. He just wished that the older agent hadn't turned to him for advice. Lying to Gibbs was hard enough. What if... what if he was wrong, what if all the information he'd researched was wrong and Tony had remembered, after all Tony regularly defied medical science. What if... McGee took a deep breath and pushed his panic to one side. He was Senior Field Agent, he had the support of the Director. Though he wasn't aware of it that saying had almost become his mantra. Besides, he wasn't the one with proven memory problems and a fractured skull and concussion. It wouldn't be hard to convince Tony that his mind was playing tricks on him. It wasn't as though a degree in Phys ed outweighed his own academic qualifications. He could do this. It wasn't as though he had a choice; he had come too far to chicken out now.

"Going to lunch Boss"

McGee heard the grunt that passed for consent in the language of Gibbs but he didn't see the speculative gaze that followed him from the bull pen or the worried frown that he would have recognized as the legendary Gibbs' gut whispering in it's owners ear.

He also didn't notice when he was followed from the building.

N*C*I*S

Abby ran the test again and bit her perfectly black painted nails as she waited. Marilyn Manson had given way to Placebo which to the uninitiated might have seemed like she had relaxed but was, in fact, an indication of growing tension. The more mellow the music the more tense the forensic scientist might not be a rule of science but it was an important one in the world of the NCIS labs and an absence of music altogether was the equivalent of going to DEFCON 1.

She almost jumped at the chime of the bell and her fingers trembled as she called up the result.

The same.

It wasn't possible. But her babies didn't lie.

"Abby? What's wrong?"

Why she felt guilty as she jumped out of her seat at the sound she didn't know, well other than the not so sanctioned evidence surrounding her.

"Jimmy!" She automatically moved away from the table containing the evidence. "There's nothing wrong! What makes you think there's anything wrong? Everything's fine, just fine, couldn't be finer!... y'know that reminds me of a song, nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina... and Carolina is fine, I have a maiden Aunt who lives there..."

Jimmy knew that he was a little innocent, though nowhere near as some people presumed; he was also a little shy and hated to make a fuss but when one of his best friends was so obviously hurting he wasn't going to be put off by a stream of Abby babble.

"Abby you're crying... and babbling... and listening to Placebo. I don't have to be Ducky to tell that something isn't right."

Abby bit her lip uncertainly as she took in the look of concern on the assistant M.E's face. But then HE had looked concerned when she was confessing her fears in his hospital room; when she had told him how glad she was that he was going to be okay but that she was scared that Tony would die.

She pulled her morbid thoughts up short. She had no reason to suppose that Jimmy Palmer would betray her just because...because... How DARE that... that... How dare HE make her doubt her friends!

Jimmy's eyebrows went into orbit as a sobbing Abby flung herself into his arms. Okay now he knew why Ducky liked working with the dead. An Abby hug was quite an alarming experience.

Ten minutes later Jimmy sat on a lab stool in a state of shock. "Are you sure?"

Abby could hear the same stunned despair and anger in his voice that she felt in her heart and ironically it helped her pull herself together as did the practical nature of his question although he had asked it more in hope that she was wrong rather than wanting to ascertain that she was right. She sniffed and Jimmy automatically passed her some tissue.

"I'm as sure as I can be with the evidence I managed to gather. Nothing fits Jimmy... but Tim wouldn't, he's family... and, and remember when Tony was framed for murder? I... the evidence nearly convicted him then so perhaps this is somebody trying to frame Tim; maybe..."

"Abby... Abs."

Abby's sudden run of optimism crashed to a halt at the sympathy in Jimmy's tone.

"Long shot huh?" At the answering rueful shrug she calmed a little. If it had been anybody other than Tim she would have simply given into the evidence but Timmy was family and family weren't to be discarded lightly. "But still a shot" she added as she went over her clipboard of readouts again.

Jimmy waited in silence as he watched Abby deliberate. His mind was in turmoil. He looked up to Gibbs' team more than anyone except Ducky and that included Tim. Not that he wasn't aware of Agent McGee's faults; his recently developed arrogance and superior attitude; his less than stellar treatment of Tony and his hero worship of Director Vance... but he was part of Gibbs' family and as such his loyalty to the others on that team was unquestionable... wasn't it? His thoughts were brought back to the moment as he realised that Abby was observing him with an intensity that she usually reserved for something in a petri dish.

"What?"

"Jimmy, how would you like to play detective?"

Jimmy wondered if it would be unmanly to whimper.

Abby explained what she needed. It was something small and simple. Something that as a medic he would have easy unofficial access to.

"Um, isn't that more like playing thief?"

Abby beamed. "Now you really ARE part of team Gibbs Jimmy! Just get me those ER photos and hopefully we can clear this whole thing up and everything will be back to normal."

"And if the pictures tell us what we don't want to hear?"

"Then I know how to kill without leaving evidence."

For once Jimmy's normal nervous look was replaced by one every bit as implacable as the Goth and he didn't doubt her statement at all. He didn't disagree with it either

N*C*I*S

Tony was nervous. No strike that, Tony was terrified and he didn't have any trouble acknowledging it, at least to the empty house. If convincing Jackson that he would be alright left alone for an hour or two was difficult then making the phone call to McGee had been almost unbearable. But he had to know. Didn't want to but this was too important to bury like he normally buried those things that hurt him. He had to know if McGee could be trusted to watch the team's six and if his memories were correct then he couldn't and Tony refused to allow anything or anyone to endanger his family... even if it was another member of that family. He just hoped that he could make sense of all of this and that he was really the one at fault. THAT he could handle. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to screwing up after all.

N*C*I*S

"Come in."

McGee pushed the door open cautiously. He wasn't surprised that it wasn't locked; even burglars as far away as New York knew better than to target Gibbs' house. He also didn't expect to be met at the door, although he did wonder why Jackson didn't seem to be at home. What he did half expect was some sort of practical joke. Even sick and away from the office he wouldn't put it past the eternal frat boy to have something nasty planned. In fact it was a relief to have found a reasonable solution to his worry of why he had been called here in the first place.

It was just a pity that by the time he reached the figure seated on the couch no practical jokes had made themselves apparent.

"T...Tony! How are you doing? You... you're looking better" It was a lie but Tim figured that if he could convince himself of that the churning in his stomach would go away.

Tony smiled which somehow didn't do much to reassure the younger Agent. Tony had many smiles but only a couple of them were born of genuine delight.

"Thanks McHallmark moment. So sit down... please, it's kind of uncomfortable looking up to you like that."

A shiver went up McGee's spine as he complied. He knew. There had been no change in the smile, no change in the tone but he knew, he remembered.

"Tony...I..."

"Why Tim? What did I do? What didn't I do? I thought we were friends! Family Tim! Do family do that to each other? Please tell me because I never had family before... IS THAT WHAT FAMILY DOES TIM!"

McGee wondered how he ever thought that this moment wouldn't come.

Tony sighed as the anger drained from him. He hadn't meant to shout. He didn't even know who he was really angry at, McGee or himself. He just wanted some answers. And watching his Probie's mouth open and close like a goldfish wasn't going to get him those answers.

"Tim... just tell me what happened. Tell me why?"

McGee's head shot up at that. Was it possible that the memory recall was only partial?

"I remember everything that happened McBenedict Arnold. I just need to know why YOU happened. Why you did what you did?" The hardened tone told McGee that he had just made a mistake. It also told him that he couldn't manipulate the incident to even out the blame. But he wasn't giving up now. He was on the fast track to the Director's chair and he had more to lose than the approval of a colleague.

"Why shouldn't I do all I could to protect my position? It isn't as though I have Gibbs covering my six!"

Tony's look of bemusement almost made McGee want to laugh. He really didn't understand how lucky he was. How damn special!

"Of course you have Gibbs on your six... we all do. It's what Gibbs does. He protects his family." Tony wondered where this had come from. They were family and they all knew that didn't they? A cold thought filled his belly. Had they been treating Tim differently? Was that why? He opened his mouth to apologise to his partner for a slight that he didn't yet understand in an attempt to put all this right. Only the two of them knew the truth and if keeping it that way made Tim feel part of the team again then it would be worth it.

Timothy McGee wasn't a mind reader. If he had been he would have kept his mouth shut and let Tony give him all he could have wished for. But he wasn't; he was, however, angry. He was also, as far as he could see, at an advantage for once in his life. He had Vance and Tony only had Gibbs. He had the sympathy of the team and while Tony did too he also had their unspoken blame for causing the accident. It was a heady mix for a man that had been bullied at school, regarded as a nerd at university and was constantly off kilter among his more experienced colleagues out in the field at work. Seeing Tony preparing to, he assumed, argue the point further he leapt in.

"YOU Tony! Gibbs protects you... and Abby. You are his so-called children. You are the two who always get the special treatment. The rest of us have to look out for ourselves. Just look at the choice he made between you and Ziva."

Tony couldn't think. This was crap, surely Tim knew it? They all protected Abby... and Ducky and Jimmy too. They weren't field agents; they put their lives on the line simply because they were associated with the rest of the team. In that respect Tony, and Gibbs, he knew, regarded them as the bravest of the team. Protecting them was the least they could do! And Ziva had put him in an impossible situation. Just giving the man an ultimatum like that would be enough to ensure that the decision would go against you. Didn't McGee know Gibbs better than that by now? Even Ziva understood and had no hard feelings about it. Unfortunately he didn't get a chance to put his point of view as McGee, seeing the look of shock on the already too pale face allowed that feeling of superiority that was his less attractive but becoming his defining feature take control.

"Oh come on Tony! Gibbs plays favorites and you don't hesitate to take advantage of it! Even after being told that you caused the crash it was your bedside he sat at, I barely warranted a visit!"

Jealousy! Was that what this was all about? Was that why his 'friend and brother' had thrown him to the dogs? Did McGee even realise how having Gibbs respect, the respect of his team, was the only concrete thing in his life? How losing it would destroy him totally and utterly?

McGee's next words told him that yes, McGee knew that only too well and had passed the point of hesitating to use it against him. A part of Tony noted that McGee would make a really efficient Director some day. It wasn't a compliment.

"I see you have nothing to say. Well Tony I think that you ought to keep it that way."

"What are you trying to say McGee?" Tony didn't bother with his usual Mcism. That was only for people he liked and respected and this sudden stranger in his face was rapidly becoming neither.

McGee was thinking more clearly now. His guilt at seeing the broken body... the body he had broken, had faded as the long held resentment took over. Tony may be Gibbs golden boy; he may be street smart and savvy; he may have an instinctive streak that anyone would kill for but his insecurity was his achilles heel and McGee's logical and self-serving brain latched onto it with all the tenacity of a computer virus.

"I... I'm saying that you suffered a serious head injury Tony. I'm saying that the car is burnt to a crisp and out of the picture and any evidence to support your 'delusions' has gone with it. I'm saying that there is no way that Director Vance will support your word over mine... and..."

Tony had felt his insides turn to ice with the implied threat in McGee's tone. His probie had certainly grown up... he just wasn't sure that was a good thing. He knew it wasn't going to be good for him. He also knew what the final threat would be and that it would hit him directly in the heart as intended. He waited for the words that would forever destroy their relationship.

..."If Gibbs finds out are you sure that he will believe you? And even if he does do you think that Vance will back a man that close to retirement over the future of NCIS? That he will allow such a scandal to become public? He will bury you... and Gibbs with you. Do you want to be responsible for destroying Gibbs' career Tony?"

There was a long silence, filled only with McGee's heavy breathing as he brought himself under control. His words may have been clipped and controlled but they had all the intensity behind them of years of insecurity and anger he wasn't even aware he possessed.

Tony wasn't even sure he could breathe any more. He certainly didn't feel the ever present pain in his ribs that came with inhalation and exhalation. In fact he felt nothing at all. He was as numb as if he had been dipped in novocaine.

"Get out."

McGee met the normally warm dark green eyes. It wasn't something he ever wanted to do again. The pain in them was frightening. It was almost as scary as the lack of emotion in the quiet voice.

"I said get out."

"You understand what I'm saying Tony?" McGee needed a conclusion to this. He was due to go home to Maryland at the weekend and give his family the good news of his promotion; he didn't want this hanging over his head.

"I understand Senior Field Agent McGee."

McGee swallowed nervously. Somehow the capitulation sounded anything but. Still, it didn't matter: In the long run Tony had no choice. Everyone knew that he would put Gibbs interests before his own.

"I'm glad we could settle this Tony. I hope you get well soon... and, I'm sorry you got hurt."

Tony watched silently as McGee turned and left the house. There was nothing else he could say. McGee was right; he would sacrifice himself to protect his family, without hesitation. The problem was how did he protect his family from McGee. Because if he couldn't trust the younger agent with his own safety anymore he sure as hell couldn't trust him with the safety of those he loved. And that was not acceptable.

N*C*I*S

The shadow standing in the corner of the kitchen, by the slightly opened back door, moved forward slightly. The face that the streak of sunlight revealed, though not to Tony who was facing the front door and caught up in his own nightmare, wore an expression that spoke of retribution and determination... and a sorrow that would take away the breath of even those who knew him well.

Jethro Gibbs did not take betrayal well. And he would make sure that Timothy McGee knew it.

TBC

A/N Hope you enjoyed. This is the first but not the only confrontation and I hope it satisfies most of you. I had people who wanted a McGee & Gibbs confrontation (it will come) first. Those who wanted Tony & McGee first and one reader who suggested that Gibbs overhear Tony & McGee. I liked this idea so thank you. I believe the suggestion was made by Buckeye girl000 (if not let me know and I will correct - also not sure how many zero's!)


	11. Chapter 11

Betrayed chapter eleven

Disclaimer: The characters of NCIS are not owned by me. They are owned by the company that owns these things.

A/N I'm all a - tingle with delight at the wonderful reviews - not so delighted with FF at the moment though since for some reason the reply address for reviews is not working at the moment. I understand that others have had the same problem but I had hoped it would be fixed by now. I checked the home page and they were working on the review database on the 5th - perhaps they jinxed it somehow. Anyway I thought that you would rather have a new chapter than have me wait until FF was fixed so hope you enjoy and thank you again for all your support.

A/N2 Am thinking of doing a X-over with NCIS and Magnificent 7 (ATF universe) anyone interested in reading something like that? McGee would still be a jerk LOL but not a baddy and some of the mag7 won't be supportive for a while but happy endings all round and Tony & Ezra centric. Let me know your thoughts.

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Gibbs stood stock still in the small sliver of sunlight, his eyes as dark as though he were standing in shadow. He was a man who didn't trust easily. It had taken him years to build a team he was comfortable with. A team who would follow his lead and trust his judgement but not a team who would follow blindly or trust unquestioningly. He would never admit it to Tony but the young Baltimore detective had long been his benchmark when hiring. Not that he wanted a team full of DiNozzos, one was quite enough but he had wanted people who shared Tony's curiosity, his bravery and his loyalty and integrity. He thought he had finally gotten that. Not that the others were strong in all areas but then none of them were. He knew that he himself had trust and secrecy issues which drove the others crazy when he went off on his own. Tony's butterfly mind, flitting from salient case points to total trivia without warning, could be damn annoying but those lateral leaps that seemed to be the result had broken many a case. Kate had been a little too rigid in her outlook but that had balanced Tony's spontaneity. Abby was far too hyper but that kept them going when they were beyond tired. Ducky could fuss and meddle for Britain but he kept them all alive and well and relatively sane. Ziva... well there were still residual loyalty issues there but she was working hard to prove herself and she and Tony made a superb team with her Mossad skills and practical nature a perfect foil for Tony's instincts and people skills.

Then there was McGee. McGee the quiet, shy, probie with the intelligent, analytical mind and the overwhelming need to prove himself to the team. Something he had done time and time again. He had shown unwavering loyalty, doing things that terrified him just because his team needed him to. He had broken cases with his computer skills which were a perfect adjunct to Abby's own talents. His faults were those that any inexperienced agent would face and Gibbs had no doubts that he would grow out of them, Tony had, he himself had as had every Marine and federal officer he had served with. He had watched as Tony had been attempting to help his probie as he had been helped...only with fewer headslaps.

And then there was the other member of his team. The stranger he hadn't known existed until he had seen him today. The selfish, cruel and callous individual that had not only admitted to lying in an official report and to his team but had then attempted to emotionally blackmail an injured friend into keeping quiet about it. He wondered idly as his brain began to adjust to the shock just when Timothy McGee had died and this monster who had his face had been born. He had always displayed a certain arrogance within the confines of his own field of expertise but Gibbs was impressed enough at that expertise, though he would rather die than admit it publicly, to allow him to get away with it up to a point. So since when did the boy from Maryland decide that the whole of NCIS had become his field and he was the lord of the manor?

Gibbs had sole control of who was and who wasn't on his team. It was why it had been just him and Tony for so long. Ziva had been forced on him the first time around it was true but then he had allowed her back on his own terms. As his shock began to turn to sorrow and anger he knew that whatever was to happen Timothy McGee was no longer a member of his team, of his family. And not because he had been the one to crash the car, accidents happen; not because he panicked and lied although that would be enough to raise doubts about his suitability for field work. What he had done today to Tony, however, was unforgivable. On a professional basis, on a personal basis, the man was history as far as he was concerned. He just hoped that the despicable actions didn't tear the team, his family, apart. It had been his decision to offer McGee a permanent place on the team and as far as he was concerned the guilt for all this mess was shared equally between himself and McGee; unfortunately he was also sure that the person who would be blaming themselves most was his senior field agent.

As he watched the slumped form of his very special agent in the living room his hand involuntarily formed a fist which he forced himself to relax. Now wasn't the time to allow the cold white anger inside him to escalate into violence. This was the wrong place, the wrong time and most definitely the wrong person. As much as McGee needed to be dealt with Tony needed him more. McGee had been right about one thing, Vance wouldn't take their word over his new pet. He would need the whole team in on this. But not yet.

As Gibbs worked through his initial feelings his posture relaxed slightly and emotion came back into his eyes. The anger and shock mixed with sorrow and determination. He could mask the message they were sending but he didn't want to because though he couldn't see Tony's eyes he would bet the farm that they had the same emotions reflected in them and he wanted the boy to know that he wasn't alone. Gibbs grabbed a bottle of bourbon and two glasses and moved silently into the room. Time to begin to fix this mess. He gave a last glance towards the open door and the empty space where McGee had exited and made a silent promise to himself that the man would pay.

N*C*I*S

Ziva sat in the bullpen half-heartedly typing out a report. She glanced towards the elevator again but still no sign of either Gibbs or McGee. It wasn't that they had to tell her where they had gone but she had a bad feeling. That in itself was surprising because they didn't have a case at the moment. She sighed and grabbed a granola bar from her drawer. Lunch. She had found it far too easy to overeat since coming to the US and she couldn't afford to get out of shape. For one thing she didn't want any of McGee's little barbed comments coming her way. It was bad enough that he kept on teasing Tony now that he was the new slim-line McGee. Personally, although she would never tell DiNozzo, she thought the extra weight suited him. It gave him an air of authority and made him look more grown-up. It was hard to see the irresponsible frat boy now - well until he opened his mouth of course. She smiled and followed up her granola bar with a clowny cake - to hell with it.

A sudden ringing from her desk phone made her drop the half eaten cake in guilt. She rolled her eyes as she swallowed hastily and took the call.

"NCIS Agent David. How may I help you?" She still got a kick out of being 'Agent' rather than 'Officer' David. Her thoughts, however, were soon all business as the caller made himself known.

"Agent David, you don't know me but I'm Officer Donald Coulter. I canvassed the witnesses on the case of your agents' accident and... well I'm afraid that..."

"Yes Officer Coulter?" Ziva had read his report, it was the usual nobody heard anything and nobody saw anything so what could have changed? Whatever it was her gut was telling her to pay attention.

"Well there... there was a witness at the scene of the beginning of the car chase that I didn't pay due attention to at the time and now I think that may have been a mistake ma'am."

Ziva was intrigued and more than a little angry. If this rookie had made a mistake that prolonged Tony's suffering! She was about to shout down the phone when she pulled herself up short. Tony had warned her about how scary she could be and this guy sounded nervous enough already. She didn't want to frighten him away... because then she would have to track him down and beat the information out of him. She frowned as to why that would be a bad thing. Definitely losing her Mossad 'Ninja' edge part of her multitasking brain mused.

"Carry on Officer."

Coulter was pleasantly surprised. He had been told by more than one cop that getting on the wrong side of team Gibbs was a very bad thing. Feeling a little less like a lamb to the slaughter he went on to explain.

"Well ma'am, I haven't been on the job long and I guess I'm still learning y'know?" he took the grunted response as an affirmative and continued. "Anyway this morning I was sent to interview a lady who was blind and to be honest I thought it was a waste of my time because, y'know, blind. But she really surprised me. I got a lot of useful information from her. And well, thing is that there was a blind witness outside your suspects' office but although I made a note of his details I never interviewed him or included it on the official report and now I'm thinking perhaps he might have 'seen' more than I thought."

Ziva was angry at the withholding of such potentially important details but she was also impressed that the young officer would risk admitting his mistake.

After taking down the details, praising the officer for his eventual help and threatening him with her paperclip if he ever made the same mistake again she grabbed her bag and set out to interview her new witness. She contemplated leaving a note but since nobody had left one for her she didn't bother. Halfway to the elevator she quickly doubled back and grabbed another cake with the justification that not only did she need the energy but what the others didn't see she wouldn't have to kill them over.

N*C*I*S

For all his reputation as a jock with a butterfly mind Tony was pretty good at analysing , prioritizing and compartmentalizing when he wanted to. He could separate the probably useless information yet keep it safely locked away in case it was needed. He could take the hurtful and pack it away leaving room for the useful and optimistic. It was a talent he had developed during his less than stellar childhood... and Dear God he wished it would kick in about now. But of course it didn't. Instead his brain teemed with memories of all the things he might have done differently, all the things he figured he'd done wrong and on top of that he had the accident now playing on a never ending loop. He doubted that even beheading would quieten his mind.

Despite all that and the shock his instincts were still there... a little slower than normal maybe but...

Gibbs watched as his distraught agent suddenly straightened. He smiled very slightly at the familiar gesture, it reminded him of a jungle cat picking up a scent or sound that was new.

"You heard."

Gibbs recognized that as a statement rather than a question. He moved into Tony's line of sight and placed the alcohol down on the table that stood between them.

"Yep"

Tony just nodded. It didn't surprise him and a part of him was glad that he wouldn't now have to tell Gibbs of his partner's betrayal. However another part wished for more time to deal... no, there would never be enough time. He breathed deeply to summon the courage to explain his actions. Of course he completely forgot that he had broken ribs and the pain stole what breath he had managed to pull in.

"Shit!"

Gibbs shook his head and pulled his chair round to sit alongside rather than opposite the shocked man grabbing his shoulder gently as he rode out the pain.

"DAD!"

The voice of a Marine Gunnery Sergeant could reach across a parade ground or a battlefield so it had no trouble reaching Jackson in the basement though it was the pain in the voice rather than the command that had him running up the stairs as fast as his arthritic knees could manage.

"Son?" Jackson looked on in concern as he watched Jethro patiently comfort Tony. He could see that something had happened, something other than the obvious physical spasm that is, but he also knew that if his son wanted him to know he would tell him... and if not then Jackson had his ways of making his boy want to tell him anyway.

"Dad, can you get Tony's medication from the kitchen, and some water?"

Jackson didn't waste time on questions he merely nodded and moved to comply.

"S...sorry Boss."

Gibbs didn't know whether Tony was apologising for his incapacitation or McGee's behaviour. It didn't matter.

"Not your fault Tony... now just shut up and breathe. Here..." Gibbs handed him the tablets that had been passed to him and helped hold the glass that a shaking hand couldn't quite manage. He noted out of the corner of his eye that his father had moved back to the kitchen and the kettle. He was grateful that the elder man was holding in his curiosity and he dreaded telling him what had happened... his stubborness and woodworking skills weren't the only things he had inherited from the Gibbs gene pool and Jackson's rage could rival his own.

"I...I'm okay Boss, just took too deep a breath there." Tony winced at the disbelieving eyebrow.

Gibbs poured him a small drink and watched as he forced it down. To hell with not mixing meds and alcohol.

"Why Tony? Why didn't you call me and tell me? Why confront McGee alone?"

Tony shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

"Tony talk to me?" At another silent shrug Gibbs tried another tactic.

"Please."

Tony's eyes shot up to lock on Gibbs' own blues at that. Gibbs never said please... that was beyond hinky. But it worked and before he could think better of it Tony had explained how his memories had returned and he needed to find out what he had done to screw things up. He didn't say that he was scared to tell Gibbs because he didn't know how he would react but Gibbs filled that part in for himself.

"You didn't screw up Tony."

"How can you know when even I don't?" Tony's voice was unnaturally small and hesitant and Gibbs knew that he was desperate to believe the statement but couldn't bring himself to hope.

"Because I know you DiNozzo."

Tony saw the truth in the words and he didn't know if the faith that Gibbs had in him was justified but it helped that he believed it because if Gibbs believed in him maybe, just maybe, he could begin to believe in himself.

Gibbs waited in silence for a few moments as Tony absorbed his words before continuing.

"I need to fill Dad in, you okay with that?"

Tony hadn't even wanted Gibbs to know, hadn't wanted to know himself so hell no he didn't want the senior Gibbs, a man he respected as much as the son to know, to judge him and find him wanting, to see his weakness... But he also knew that secrets and lies were what had created this mess; he knew that he owed it to the man to be honest. To keep secrets himself was bad enough but to force a son to lie to his own dad, that was beyond wrong. Tony nodded his permission although he couldn't speak.

Gibbs tilted the hung head up with a finger and gave the softest of taps to the back of said head.

"Hey! If I say you have nothing to be ashamed of then that's what I mean...understand?" Gibbs was rewarded with a slight return of life to the dulled green eyes and a tentative smile on the pain filled face and he squeezed the juncture between neck and shoulder in acknowledgement of the effort before standing to join his dad in the kitchen.

"Jethro?" Jackson couldn't say that he had never seen such an expression of pain and anger on his son's face before, no matter how much he might have wished he hadn't but he couldn't figure out just what could have put it there. Tony hadn't moved since he had gone down to that basement. What had happened? What had he missed? And who did he have to kill to put things right?

Gibbs poured himself a coffee and indicated that his dad bring his tea and join him at the table. Jackson noted that his son placed himself so that he could keep a watchful eye on Tony who seemed to be breathing a little easier although his slumped position hadn't changed.

As Gibbs filled him in on the events of the day Jackson couldn't believe his ears. He was horrified. Oh, he had lived a long life in a small town and as a result had seen just about every variation of betrayal there was; spouse betraying spouse; sisters and brothers; neighbours and friends; those in power and those in their care... but he had never contemplated that one of Gibbs' team would betray his own. And poor Tony! As if the lies weren't bad enough the blackmail was...

"What are you going to do Son? Because I want you to remember that being in jail won't help Tony... you might also remember that courts tend to go easier on senior citizens."

Gibbs almost smiled at the concern and the offer but he saw the ice cold honesty in his father's eyes and the concern about his intended actions and he had never been more grateful that they had managed to patch up their differences because Jackson Gibbs was the only person on earth that he could admit his innermost fears to. The only man he didn't have to be the strong one for.

"I don't know Dad" he admitted. "I haven't a clue what to do. How do you fix something like this? How do you stop it all falling apart? How... How do I tell them Dad? And what do I tell Tony to make it better? Can anything make it alright again? Hell Dad, the Marines didn't teach me to deal with this."

Jethro hated to show his weakness to his father but if Tony could let him see the fear in his eyes then he owed it to the younger agent to do no less. However he was surprised to see the easily read emotion in the older man's eyes. He saw sorrow and the ever present anger that came with the revelation of McGee's actions. He read the same determination that he knew were reflected in his own but pride! He had failed his team, he had failed the agent he looked on as a son... how could there be pride? The answer surprised him.

"You already know what to do Jethro. You already know it here" Jackson indicated his heart. "The fact that you know the questions to ask mean that the answers will come as you need them. I know you'll do the right thing. I'm proud of you son."

Gibbs was grateful that his Dad didn't mention the sudden wateriness in his eyes or expect him to reply because he didn't think he could, he simply nodded. There was something else that worried him though but before he could give it voice Jackson in that way that only parents had seemed to read his thoughts and answered his unasked question.

"Don't worry about Tony. He's as tough as you, he'll pull through. You just make sure that the rest of his family are there for him." They both knew that Jackson wasn't referring to DiNozzo senior. Tony had something better than that now.

N*C*I*S

Ziva stepped away from the neat single story house and walked calmly to her car. Mister Brownlow had been more than helpful. While his sight had gone his other senses were finely tuned and his level of recall bordered on the eidetic. He hadn't heard much but what he had heard answered all those niggling questions, all those unplaceable doubts that she had been feeling since the accident. He had heard someone mutter 'damn' and run to a car. That wasn't particularly helpful but what the person in the car shouted as it drove off? Oh yes! that was more than helpful... it was heartbreaking. So she, being a fully trained assassin, attempted to put her heart on hold. It didn't work, she had been around people with feelings for too long.

As she drove off with her normal scant regard for driving etiquette she reached up to brush a stray tear from her eye... the words quoted by Mister Brownlow ringing in her ears.

"What the hell McGee! Stop and let me drive."

Brownlow confirmed that the car sped away without stopping to fulfill the request. Ziva caught her reflection in the car mirror. She smiled a cold angry smile and made both herself and Tony a promise.

McGee would pay.

TBC

A/N Well everybody now has a piece of the puzzle, all they have to do is get together and decide what to do. I really wouldn't like to be McGee would you? LOL


	12. Chapter 12

Betrayed - chapter twelve.

Copyright: It's hardly worth saying but of course I don't own NCIS... do you see McGee as agent afloat on a wooden raft at the top of Niagara Falls? Well the day you do is the day I take ownership LOL

A/N I've answered as many reviews as I can but once again I was overwhelmed by the response so if I didn't reply I am so sorry but thank you for the support and kind words. I would also like to thank those who responded favourably to my NCIS X Mag 7 fic. I already have some stuff written (even a bit of plot - I know, shock!) but I want to update a couple of other fics and finish this one before posting anything new. For those unfamiliar with Mag 7 don't worry I'll be giving a Mag7 101 lesson before the start of the story and if you want pictures of the guys try googling Blackraptor they have all the info you'll need. Don't worry also if you've never seen the series because the story is set in an AU modern ATF setting... anyway enough of the future and on with the story.

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Jimmy stared forlornly at the computer. He was no hacker, didn't want to even attempt it. Knowing his luck he'd either inadvertently hack into the Pentagon and start World War III or end up trapped upstairs in Gibbs' in-box for eternity because everyone knew that anything that entered Gibbs' computer never returned - especially at the man's own hand. However hacking into the hospital's extremely well protected files seemed the only avenue left. He had already tried everything else to acquire the photos of the injuries sustained by Tony and Tim in the crash, having immediately rejected the option of attempting to infiltrate the NCIS evidence repository due to his own ineptitude and desire to preserve his job and his liberty... so everything actually consisted of phoning his friend Malcolm who was on rotation in the ER, but he was on vacation in Hawaii. Jimmy wondered if all the contacts that the others seemed to be able to pull out of thin air, like rabbits from hats, only came with time and experience or whether his only having one source confirmed that he was, indeed, a socially inept autopsy gremlin and would remain so forever.

Nah! he decided as he jabbed at his mouse and once again found himself back at the welcome page. Gibbs had lots of contacts but could count his friends on not much more than one hand. He was the king of social immobility. The thought cheered him slightly but it didn't help solve his problem.

"Mister Palmer, is there perhaps something you want to tell me?"

Jimmy yelped and Ducky, just for a moment, thought that the saying 'he jumped out of his skin' would be proved medically possible. Doctor Donald Mallard wasn't an idiot no matter how much he liked to play the old fool sometimes. He had seen more in his lifetime than his younger friends put together... and given his adoptive family's penchant for getting into trouble that was certainly saying something. So he knew instinctively that something was amiss and not just because his assistant was giving a good impression of a startled kitten. Abby had been acting oddly for a couple of days and Ziva was even more enigmatic than usual. Jethro was missing altogether but with his responsibilities in caring for their very special agent that was not so surprising. What was surprising was that with no active cases for the odd behaviour to be connected to and Gibbs more or less out of the picture nobody had come to him for advice or information... or just to vent some tension at him. And the tension in the air was palpable. Yes something was definitely, as dear Abigail would say, hinky. And his scientist's curiosity would not be denied.

"D...Doctor Mallard!... I... I... That is to say...I" Jimmy's blush was directly attributable to his tripping over his words like a first year med student but his rapid backing away from the incriminating computer and subsequent landing on his ass after tripping over a far more substantial item, namely the chair that he had leapt from in his startlement was due to pure guilt.

"Careful!" Ducky tutted as he reached down to offer a hand to the flustered young man who was endeavouring to straighten his glasses and bring back into focus just one Ducky to his crooked vision - one Ducky was more than enough.

"Here m'lad. Easy now."

"S... Sorry Doctor Mallard. I was just... um..." Jimmy gave up and allowed himself to be led to Ducky's office where he found his rather tender posterior cushioned by the ME's comfiest chair and the kettle on the boil before he could so much as myopically blink.

Ducky said nothing more until the tea had been poured in order to allow the over anxious medic to calm down but he had glimpsed the computer screen and the hospital logo was enough to worry him. Was Jimmy ill? Or Abby maybe? Lord, he hoped not. They had been pushed to the edge by Tony and Tim's crash and he was very fond of all his young friends; he didn't want to see any more suffering in his family.

"Now Jimmy, why don't you unburden yourself and tell me what's been going on these past days and why you were accessing a hospital website." Ducky hesitated and with a little hurt in his voice which was entirely genuine and made his order sound more like a request he added "I would like to think that if you had any medical worries you would feel able to come to me for advice... I am quite discreet you know."

Jimmy almost choked on his Darjeeling tea. He knew that he had failed in his mission and was prepared to take the consequences but the realization that he had hurt his mentor's feelings hit him hard and any resolve that he had made to himself to keep Abby's investigations secret went out the window and he didn't really think that under the circumstances Abby would mind. The resultant confession was like the breaching of a dam and Ducky listened in growing horror as the details of their suspicions regarding McGee's suspected betrayal were released in a flood, however a slight tightening of his hold on the delicate bone china cup was the only outward sign of Ducky's distress. He didn't want to scare the poor lad after all.

"And so" Jimmy concluded, "Abby thought that the photos they took in the ER that night might confirm her findings... or hopefully contradict them." Jimmy waited for a reaction with wariness. Ducky might be everyone's idea of a gentle grandfatherly type, and he was; he was wise and caring and had infinite patience. But there was another side to the Scottish doctor. One that rarely showed itself unless faced with either potential harm to his 'family' or gross injustice... and this offered both. Rather like the incredible hulk Jimmy had a feeling that you didn't want to see Ducky when he was angry.

Ducky held onto his composure by a thread. He honestly thought that he had lived too many years and experienced too much to be truly surprised anymore but the thought of young Timothy McGee being a traitor was a bolt from the blue. Immediately he castigated himself for his lack of attention immediately after the accident. He would normally have made sure to examine Tim closely after such an incident but what with the seriousness of Anthony's injuries and the normally truthful McGee's assurances of his relative good health he had allowed himself to be distracted. There had been so many distraught friends to reassure and comfort. If McGee hadn't been able to take advantage of his inattention then would any of this have happened? Ducky gave a soft humph! and put his cup down carefully. He would not allow his own self doubt to sway his duty and at the moment that duty was to his distressed assistant and his friends. But he had to admit as he rose to his feet that he had never felt quite so many of his years heavy on his shoulders.

Jimmy watched carefully as the emotions flashed across Ducky's lined and normally jolly face. He recognized the shock, anger and disappointment as the same ones that had no doubt crossed his own back in Abby's lab. Upsetting Ducky was another crime that Palmer mentally added to McGee's tally although he felt a twinge of guilt at his own part in the way the M.E. had suddenly aged ten years. He realised that his own expression was obviously easily read when Ducky got to his feet and gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Now, now young James. None of this is your fault and I thank you for confiding in me." Seeing that he had coaxed a smile out of his protege, albeit a rather anaemic one he shook off his own melancholy and got down to business. "Come on young man, let's see what those pictures can tell us. I just happen to know the consultant who was on duty that night. Actually there is a rather interesting story behind how we first met. Did you know that there are still areas of the world where head hunting is practiced? Well..."

Jimmy felt a rush of comfort flow through him as Ducky launched into one of his tales and for the first time since the crash he felt that perhaps things might turn out okay.

N*C*I*S

Gibbs was furious... no, Gibbs was incandescent with rage; he just daren't let it show. Instead he eyed his half completed boat and debated whether torching it would make him feel better... maybe, but it would make Tony feel worse and that was something he couldn't afford at the moment. Not when the normally resilient agent had fallen into a deep depression with a speed that had, quite frankly, frightened him. It had only been a few hours since his confrontation with McGee and already the fledgling appetite that the convalescing man had developed had deserted him and he hadn't even attempted to do his afternoon exercises. They had been forced to send the physiotherapist away. She had reassured them that mood swings were normal but then she didn't know just how thoroughly one of his supposed friends had demolished his life. McGees actions had come close to the surgeon having to cut off his leg and now he had cut out his heart instead.

Back upstairs in the living room Tony smiled in thanks at the cup of hot chocolate handed to him by Jackson. He thought that the smile had been pretty convincing; it was an 'I'm okay, everything's fine, situation normal kind of a smile. Unfortunately for Tony it failed on all counts and Jackson sighed softly as he walked away, the cup held tightly between slightly shaky hands as though it were the only warm thing left in the world haunting his eyes. Jackson didn't think that he was capable of hate but at that moment he came closer to hating McGee than he had anyone in a long, long time.

Tony knew, deep down, that none of this was his fault, that the team would support him if they knew the truth; after all they had supported him when they thought he had been driving hadn't they? But what if?... Tony winced at that phrase. It was never good when the 'what ifs' set in but he couldn't help it, he was an investigator and what if was a main feature of any case... what if he had done this, what if she had been there, what if ... what if... what if. Tony sat and watched the skin form on his rapidly cooling chocolate and let the what ifs swirl around in his mind. Lots of different what ifs but all ending in the same place... a very scary and lonely place. A place where every thought became 'my fault'.

Gibbs watched a process he knew so well from not only his past experiences with his lead agent but also from his own life. Self doubt and self recrimination had nearly destroyed him over Shannon and Kelly and again when he had left the team for Mexico. He wouldn't let the same thing happen to Tony. It was time to bring the others into this, to show Tony DiNozzo that he wasn't alone and that he wouldn't be judged and found wanting, unlike the voice in Tony's head that had no doubt tried and convicted him by now. Decision made all he had to do was decide whether to tell them one at a time or all together. Each had it's drawbacks. Tell them one at a time and he couldn't control what those who knew would do once out of his sight. Tell them together and he could have an instant lynch mob - and he wasn't sure that he would have the inclination to stop them.

N*C*I*S

Ducky, Abby and Jimmy sat in the lab staring at the pictures on the screen. The evidence was conclusive... and damning.

"Oh Tony!" Abby's voice was rough from the crying she hadn't been able to stop since Ducky had laid the photos out solemnly and silently.

"He's going to be devastated." Jimmy's voice trembled slightly but there was a fire in his eyes that they all knew wasn't directed at his friends.

"Abigail dear, does this concur with the rest of your evidence?"

Abby blew her nose loudly on a lace handkerchief decorated with little hangman's nooses - they fitted her mood - and nodded. She hadn't been surprised that Jimmy had blabbed all to the M.E. Really, she was glad that he had saved her the horrible chore of telling her honorary grandfather herself.

"Yes" she affirmed verbally, her voice stronger now that she was in her comfort zone of forensic science. "The seatbelt bruising is the clincher." They had already agreed to save the rest of the evidence until they were all together. Neither Ducky nor Jimmy wanted to put the sensitive Goth through that twice. "See Tony's chest?" The others nodded as they forced themselves to look again at the distressing pictures of the unconscious and badly injured agent. "No bruising from seatbelt pressure. That confirms my findings from the car; whoever was in the passenger seat was thrown clear on impact."

"So Tony wasn't wearing his seatbelt?" Jimmy was surprised. Tony, for all his fooling around was very careful when in a car - you had to be with Gibbs or Ziva in the driving seat.

"Oh no, he was wearing a belt" corrected Abby, a hint of anger entering her voice, the reason for which soon became obvious and left the men wondering if the guys in the car pool were aware that the next few months would be hell on earth for them - probably. Abby was not known for her tolerance when one of her boys were hurt.

"I checked with the garage guys and they said that the car should never have been authorized for use. It was earmarked for repairs. Seems it was already faulty when they took delivery of it. The air bags and the seatbelt were not fit for purpose but somehow it slipped through the net. But..." she added, raising an index finger dramatically to emphasise her point. "It is on record and it corroborates the evidence that McGee was in the driving seat when the car crashed."

Abby fell silent and their collective gaze switched to the photographs of the younger agent and the technicolor bruising spread diagonally across his chest. By the glazed look in the man's eyes he probably hadn't much of a clue what was going on. No idea that he was condemning himself with his own body no matter what lies had come out of his mouth.

"So" Abby voiced the question that none of them wanted to face. She twisted the damp kerchief in slightly unsteady hands. "Who wants to be the one to tell Gibbs?"

Jimmy paled and Ducky, his head lowered, pondered their dilemma... until he felt eyes upon him. Looking up he saw two sets of puppy dog eyes fixed on his.

"Oh dear!"

N*C*I*S

Ziva drove at her normal breakneck speed but with an intensity that would do an Indy 500 driver justice. Gibbs had called her into the office and he had sounded... odd. He had said please! And he hadn't growled at all. She may be the newest member of the team but she was pretty sure that that kind of behaviour wasn't normal. In fact he had sounded almost defeated. Ziva was getting a bad feeling about this and one hand drifted from the steering wheel to play with the Star of David hanging around her neck. She hoped that this wasn't bad news about Tony. He had been doing really well the last time she had visited. Because if Tony had taken a turn for the worse the news she had unearthed about McGee's possible betrayal might well prove to be the straw that broke the camel's hump. She frowned, instinct telling her that there was something not right about that saying... she really missed her partner and his automatic corrections of her mistakes. She had never had anyone to banter with before; Mossad were not known for their easy going nature.

Pulling into the NCIS parking garage her eyes hardened. She may be a little lost in the ways of America and their idioms but she was well practiced in the arts of revenge and retribution. If the strange tone of Gibbs' voice meant that he wasn't handling things well she would be there for him and her friends. She had ways of making it as though McGee had never existed. They wouldn't even find his name on the family tree let alone his DNA.

As swhe walked into the conference room her heart rate increased at the sight of a red-eyed Abby, a nervous Jimmy and solemn Ducky. They in turn took in the hard glint in the dark eyes of the Israeli agent. It was a look that she hadn't worn for a long time. But before anyone could speak the door opened once more and Gibbs entered. The fact that he locked the door behind him and the internal surveillance cameras were switched off, the little tell-tale red light being notable by it's absence, did not go un-noticed and suddenly they were all on alert.

"Jethro, I am afraid that..."

"Gibbs there is something you should know..."

"Oh! Bossman!..."

The voices came all at once and shut off immediately at a raised hand from their leader who looked more haggard than he had at any time since Mexico.

"Sit down everyone. There's something I need to tell you."

TBC

A/N Nobody is dead or in serious danger. Nobody is hanging from a cliff so therefore this does not in any way constitute a cliffhanger. Just thought I'd make that clear LOL Hope you enjoyed. We now have everyone coming together so I'm figuring on possibly two chapters to go.


	13. Chapter 13

Betrayed chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own some Italian shoes... but no Italian agents alas.

A/N Firstly apologies to those I have not replied to. It's not for want of trying I can assure you. But after two pm's disabled, three messages denied and at least four warnings that my replies constitute spam I give up - honestly how many different ways are there to say thank you for reading without the message content being the same! Why is it that whenever a website make 'improvements' everything gets screwed? Anyway I figure that most of you would rather have the next chapter than me going slowly insane (although knowing what a twisted lot we are in fanfic world I'm not so sure - you'd so watch it on youtube wouldn't you LOL). Also an apology that this isn't the greatest chapter, not even any Tony! but it is necessary.

Previously:-

_The voices came all at once and shut off immediately at a raised hand from their leader who looked more haggard than he had at any time since Mexico._

_"Sit down everyone. There's something I need to tell you."_

_._

Gibbs' team quietened immediately and their team leader was faced with a collection of unexpectedly frightened faces. A sudden realisation of how that must have sounded along with a distinct lack of a certain Italian's presence made him want to kick himself.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs had never heard Ducky sound so hesitant.

"No, nothing like that. Tony is back at the house with my Dad."

The relief in the air was almost palpable but there was still an atmosphere of tension that had been there from the moment he had walked into the room. It hadn't escaped him that his team seemed as anxious, yet oddly reluctant, to talk to him as he was them. Also, no-one had questioned the absence of McGee. But since he had sworn Jackson to secrecy and Tony wasn't in any fit condition to be talking to anyone right now they couldn't possibly know the truth.

Later, when he realised how wrong he was he acknowledged to himself, but only himself, that he had never been prouder of his team. But for the moment he forged ahead sparing only a passing glance at the folder that Abby was clutching tightly to her chest.

"Tony's physical condition hasn't changed but I'd be lying if I said that emotionally he hadn't taken a turn for the worse today."

"Why today? Did his physio not go well?"

"He didn't have his physio today Duck; he had a visitor this morning. A visitor who turned his world upside down... turned all our worlds upside down."

Ziva and Abby frowned. It wasn't like Gibbs to be any less than forthright yet here he was prevaricating. Had Vance dismissed Tony? Unbeknownst to the two women Ducky was having similar thoughts but it was Palmer who saw straight to the heart of Gibbs reticence. The man who knew the ex-marine least; who was most scared of him, could, at this moment, read him best.

"Did Vance..." Ziva began, only to stop dead as Jimmy stated in as cold a voice she had ever heard from the young medic...

"McGee."

To say that Gibbs was surprised was an understatement; though he only expressed it via a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Why do you say that Palmer?"

Jimmy's moment of potentially suicidal bravery had passed and to spare him any further embarrassment as he attempted a stuttered and halting reply Ducky intervened.

"What do you know about Agent McGee Jethro?"

Gibbs didn't miss the lack of the use of McGee's first name or the hardened looks at his mention from the others and he had the feeling that his news might not be so new. Oh well, no point in sugar coating it then. Gibbs didn't do sugar, not in his coffee and not in his manner.

"It seems that Tony's memory has begun to return. He called McGee to come to the house. Neither man knew I was there." Gibbs then went on to describe the events of their confrontation leaving a shocked team who had thought that they were past the point of being surprised. Attempting to absorb their colleague's actions they sat in silence.

All except one that is.

"NO ZIVA!"

Gibbs was at the door almost before the Israeli assassin had cleared her chair. The fact that he barred the exit with his body didn't stop her from trying to go through it however she felt herself suddenly restrained from behind by surprisingly strong yet gentle hands and a pair of uncompromising blue grey eyes were holding her own in just as firm a grip.

"No Ziva" Gibbs repeated quietly this time and saw with relief, the submission in her furious eyes. Feeling that same capitulation in her body Ducky let go his hold on her arms and stepped back gingerly... One could never be too careful with Ziva.

"He has to pay Gibbs. In Mossad he would be..."

"This isn't Mossad Ziva. And while this may be the first time I regret that fact we don't do things that way here." Gibbs sighed and allowed a little of his hurt to show through. "How many times are you going to have to decide where your loyalties lie Ziva?"

Her reply was instantaneous. "There is no choice to be made." With that Ziva walked back to her chair and sat down. Gibbs wasn't the only one to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

"So let's go and tear that little rodent limb from limb." Abby didn't make friends lightly and she had taken McGee into her close circle almost immediately. His betrayal had turned him from friend to enemy... there was no in between for Abby.

"Abby."

Abby pouted at Gibbs tired but serious warning but she wouldn't be swayed. Something had to be done. "Vance has to be told. He has to find out what a jerk he's been... how much better than either of them our Tony is." She finished her statement with an emphatic nod.

Gibbs was the voice of reason. Unfortunately Abby didn't really want reasonable at the moment but it was Gibbs and she didn't want to upset her silver fox any more than he already was so she listened dutifully to his reply and had to admit that he was right.

"How are we going to persuade Leon Vance that his golden boy has feet of clay - let alone broken every rule in the book, Abby? McGee was right on one point; Vance will always take his word over mine or Tony's and since our word is all we have..."

Before Abby, who had resumed her normal excited bouncing in her chair at the realisation that while her Bossman may be correct he was also missing some important information and her beloved science could come to the rescue Ducky spoke up. He knew of the existence of the evidence but he didn't know Vance as well as Jethro did. He didn't want his young colleagues hopes shattered before they had fully formed; and if Vance was the sort of man who would cover up physical evidence just to get his own way he also did not want Jethro's career put in danger by being in possession of evidence that Vance wanted to keep hidden. You didn't get to the top in the world of Federal Law without a degree of ruthlessness.

"What if Leon had evidence Jethro? What if he were to be presented with incontrovertible proof of McGee's misdeeds... what would our Director do?"

Gibbs thought hard for a moment. It was an odd question since they didn't have any evidence... yet. But he owed it to Ducky to treat the question with the seriousness it deserved; and they would find evidence at some point so it was something that needed consideration. He didn't have to think on it for too long though; as much as Vance drove him crazy and he had issues with both his ambition and his way of doing things the answer was obvious.

The team waited with bated breath for the reply that would govern their future actions.

"Vance admires McGee's skills. He sees men like him as the future of the service... but he doesn't have any close personal feelings or loyalties toward him. It's what he represents that counts. So if he had evidence... Vance may be a hard man to like, to deal with, but he's honest when it comes to the big stuff. If he had evidence he would run with it, especially if doing otherwise endangered his own career." Gibbs gave an explosive sigh and ran an impatient hand through his short cropped hair. These discussions may be necessary but he had a traumatised field agent back home to take care of.

Ducky nodded. His own conclusions about their Director confirmed and he gave a discreet glance to Abby telling her to go ahead.

"Gibbs?"

"Abby?" Gibbs noted that despite her expression of solemn seriousness there lurked a hint of triumphant smugness in her eyes.

Abby held out the slightly crumpled folder towards her surrogate father.

"I have evidence."

N*C*I*S

Gibbs didn't know why he was surprised. He shouldn't be. Abby had found evidence many a time where most hadn't even discovered a crime. She was in tune with his needs to the point of the supernatural. But in this case the only source of evidence was neatly locked away in a police storage facility to which she had no access... or at least no legal access...

"Abby?"

Abby flinched slightly at that tone. It was questioning while knowing the answer and wondering while preparing to be disappointed in her; and that was something that she couldn't stand. BUT... this was for their Tony and she didn't regret her actions one little bit. She raised her chin and looked her silver fox right in the eye as she slid the folder across the table and prepared to take the flack but before she could find a way to apologise without actually apologising because a) she wasn't sorry and b) sign of weakness Ziva, sitting next to her piped up.

"I helped. I got us in and took care of the dogs... she would have been up the creek without a ladle if I had not."

"Paddle." The correction was in surround sound and Ziva sighed both in resignation at another idiom failure and at the lack of the one voice she wished was there to set her straight.

"Me too" added Jimmy before clarifying. "Well, I mean I wasn't there, you know but I helped after; or at least I tried but Ducky had to... oh!"

Gibbs sardonic eyebrow turned it's attention from his two girls to his ME. Ducky ran a hand down his face in what he hoped looked like consternation but was in reality an attempt to hide his growing smile at the absurdity of it all.

"Et tu Duck?"

Taking the risk of looking the team leader in the eye and almost losing it at the sight of the twinkle in the eyes and slight upturn of the mouth which gave the lie to the serious tone Ducky shrugged and tapped his own chest.

"Mea culpa." He smiled at the head shake he received in return and felt the tension around the table relax as they all realised that Gibbs wasn't angry with them. His own face then grew more solemn as he added. "But seriously Jethro, we would do anything for Tony, as we know you, too , would. You cannot expect any less of us."

Gibbs toyed with the corner of the as yet unopened file and privately thanked whatever gods he still had any faith in that he had friends like these before nodding his thanks and getting down to business.

"So fill me in."

As each of them took their turn to fill in their part of the past few days his respect for his team grew. As Abby, who had begun proceedings came to her actual findings Gibbs finally opened the file and pulled out the photo's test results and reports.

"You know that these weren't obtained with due process Abs, we can't use them in court?"

"I know Bossman, but I only took teeny samples. The rest is still there when we want to go official."

Gibbs wasn't so sure that Tony would want to go the 'official' route but he didn't voice that opinion. Tony was too distraught at the moment to decide anything.

"So tell me what you got?"

Abby immediately put on her professional demeanour and laid the evidence out before them. There was a surprising amount and she realised that it reflected the amount of panic that McGee was in that he thought he could escape the truth being revealed.

"Well the most damning evidence are the photos that Jimmy and Ducky got from the hospital. You can see that only McGee has bruising from the seatbelt"... she plucked another document from the pile "And this is the report from the mechanics that confirms the broken seatbelt on the passenger side"... another photo..."and this is a photo of the broken belt after the crash. This proves that Tony wasn't restrained in the crash. Ther... there is also evidence of blood on the carpet of the passenger side. It's pretty washed out but it...it l...looks like such a lot and it's T...Tony's" More pieces of paper and photos were presented and Gibbs took his time in perusing it to give Abby time to recover from the memory. Gibbs had to conclude that considering how upset she must have been while gathering the evidence she had done her usual phenomenal job.

"This"...Abby almost reverently touched the crime scene photo of the car, how anyone had survived was a miracle. "This is the car after the crash. You can see that the passenger side door is completely detached and still at the top of the embankment which suggests that Tony was thrown clear on initial impact, while you can just about make out prints leading from that side to the driver's door. The driver's door was also ajar but I isolated blood stains on the door that would indicate someone on the outside of the car pulled the door open...like this" Abby mimed someone bracing themselves with their hands and yanking on the door.

"So Tony was thrown clear and then dragged himself round to free McGee before the car went over?"

Abby nodded, yes, to Gibbs query and he indicated for her to continue. She was glad that the cold fury that was building in the normally unfathomable blue/grey eyes wasn't directed at her.

"Well I didn't dare take fingerprints because that would leave powder trace and, y'know, wasn't meant to be there... but I do have a statement from the guy who signed the car out and he confirmed that Tony was driving when he left the garage... but!" she lifted a finger to halt that comments she knew that would bring and grinned when they all obeyed like kindergarten kids at story time. "I also have a statement from Bert, no relation to MY Bert, the guard on duty that day at the front gates that when the car came through McGee was driving."

"They must have switched when Tony picked McGee up." Ducky surmised. "In which case McGee's prints would also be on the wheel."

"Not necessarily."

All eyes turned to Ziva. "He has been wearing those fancy leather gloves when driving ever since he got them... kept saying that he had to protect his hands so that he could write his new book; he didn't want frostbite."

There was a moments silence as they felt the pain of loss. Tim's quirky ideas and habits, his fastidiousness and his constant worrying that was somehow endearing rather than irritating. How could the man they thought they knew have become someone they wouldn't want to know. Seeing that her words had left Abby unable to carry on at least for a moment or two Ziva filled Gibbs and the others in on her conversation with Officer Coulter. Blind testimony wasn't ideal but put alongside the rest it was damning and it was certainly enough to take to Vance.

And shove it down his throat.

Gibbs gathered the evidence back together and put it in the file. He then took in the haggard faces before him. McGee's betrayal had taken it's toll on all of them. Ducky was looking his years and Jimmy had lines etched into his forehead that weren't there a few weeks ago - it wasn't any sort of a way to have to grow up suddenly. Ziva looked like she had looked when she first joined them, hard yet vulnerable and Abby... poor Abby, despite her run-proof mascara looked like someone had broken her heart, taken it out and then stomped on it... and someone had. And they would all get justice but not yet. They needed to focus on something positive for a while; and somebody he knew desperately needed something positive in his life right now.

"We'll sort this out, I promise. But first I need your help with something else... or rather Tony needs your help."

Faces that had been caught up in their own private hells immediately became focused and determined. Instead of four disparate and hurting individuals he saw one unit intent on helping their team mate. If any proof were ever needed that Tony was their heart, their lynchpin it was in that moment and in that same moment Gibbs knew that everything would be alright in the end.

Unless your name was Timothy McGee.

TBC

A/N For anyone not in the know Et tu = you too; mea culpa= (roughly) my fault.

Next episode sees Gibbs having a little chat with Vance and Tony gets more than a little tlc. It is possible that I might wrap this up next chapter but I suspect that to do the final team / McGee / Vance confrontation justice I'll need two chapters. Either way not too far to go now. Hope you enjoyed.


	14. Chapter 14

Betrayed chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own lots of things. One of them might be NCIS... might be... but not.

A/N Delay not entirely my fault this time... honest! But here's a tip for anyone wanting to inflict pain and suffering on a character. You don't need fists or bullets, knives or bombs... you just need a dental abscess and a tooth extraction! For a woman I suffer in a quite manly way... yes, I fall to pieces and demand constant attention... and many painkillers! Anyway, having proved to myself that I am definitely more of a sadist than a masochist and having spent a lot of time since my recovery catching up with real life minor disasters - having water dripping through your linen closet ceiling is not natural and not to be recommended, gulp! - (thanks to my Open University tutor for the extension on my assignment by the way) here's the next (and next to last) chapter.

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Tony wondered where Gibbs had gotten to... but not for long; after all he wouldn't want to hang around himself in this mood. He wasn't a naturally morose person, although he wasn't really the eternally upbeat joker that others saw either. Maybe that was the problem, maybe that was why McGee had no respect for him. How can anyone respect the class clown. Of course he had kinda hoped that the friendship, loyalty and mentorship that he had offered would be enough... obviously not. Live and learn.

Tony looked down on the leg that was attached to his body. He didn't feel quite ready to reclaim ownership of it yet, not until it stopped tormenting him with it's painful spasms, twitches, and out and out non-cooperation. If only he could get the damn thing working again then maybe he could finagle his way back into work... even being chained to a desk with a pile of cold cases was preferable to being stuck inside his own mind.

He felt suddenly guilty that he had skipped his physio today. He owed it to Gibbs and Jackson to be a burden for as little time as possible. Taking a deep breath and summoning up all of his mental and physical strength, which wasn't as much as he'd have liked, Tony levered himself off the couch and onto his feet... well, foot. The other one, the traitorous one, hovered slightly above the floor leaving him feeling rather like an off color, off balance flamingo. Holding the back of the couch with one rather shaky hand he gently lowered the troublesome limb to join it's fellow and before his brain could insert any common sense he took a step.

"TONY!"

The cry coincided perfectly with Tony's graceless descent to the floor where a thought flashed through his mind that the one area of life where DiNozzo senior beat Gibbs was in his love of deep pile carpeting as opposed to very well crafted but incredibly hard wooden flooring.

Tony was quite proud that he didn't scream as the flames of agony shot through his mangled leg until he became aware of the tears coursing down his sheet white cheeks. Dammit, he couldn't be seen to be weak, he just couldn't. This was the point where, he knew from past experience, he would struggle to a sitting position, put on a smile and crack a totally lame joke to deflect the attention from pitying to affectionate exasperation.

But he couldn't bring himself to be bothered. He also couldn't be bothered to respond to Abby's scolding or Ducky's questions while examining what further injury 'the brainless idiot' ( Gibbs' contribution ) had done to himself. The group shared uneasy glances at the lack of reaction and when Tony didn't even flinch or smile at a less harsh than usual headslap the whole team went into default mother hen mode and before he could say 'I'm not worth it' Tony found himself back on the couch, wrapped in a warm comforter tighter than a Mummy, dosed up with painkillers - was he a horse? Did he really need pills both big enough and powerful enough to kill one? - He'd have to get back to you on that since he was asleep almost before Abby had tucked Bert the hippo in alongside him.

"It's every bit as bad as you said Jethro." Ducky confirmed with a sad sigh as they gathered round the kitchen table which owing to the open plan nature of Gibbs' house allowed full view of Tony's restless slumber on the couch.

"He was beginning to pork up before this" Ziva added and then noting the by now familiar looks of alarm on the gathered faces waited for the inevitable correction of, in this case, 'perk up Ziva!'... Abby's smirk confirming that whatever she had actually said could be interpreted sexually. She was constantly astounded at just how many words and phrases in American English had sexual connotations. A strange language indeed.

Abby's smirk at Ziva's slip up quickly vanished as she remembered just why her Tony had taken a backward slide. Even the bout of Y - Pestis hadn't been able to destroy him quite as thoroughly as Typhoid McGee had.

"So how do we fix it?" Abby knew what she would do to fix it and she suspected that the others shared her point of view but they all knew that revenge would hurt Tony as much as the guilty party.

Everyone sat in morose silence for several minutes, the only sounds being the gentle slurping of a Caf-Pow and the metal on metal sound of Ziva sharpening her favourite knife. Every few seconds a glance would be sent to the sleeping agent but it seemed that no-one could come up with a solution.

Gibbs surreptitiously watched his team struggle with their problem while sipping his rapidly cooling coffee. He exchanged a look with his father. It had been a long time since he had been able to converse with the senior Gibbs this way and it showed him just how far their relationship had come in the past months. He knew that it was due in no small part to Tony's efforts at reconciling their differences. God knew that if it were left to either himself or Jackson they wouldn't ever have broken the silence... but then he wasn't good with people and his dad wasn't good with risk taking.

"I could..."

"Perhaps I should..."

"Maybe if I could..."

Gibbs shook his head. THAT was the problem.

Attracting their collective attention without waking Tony meant resorting to very un - Gibbslike hand waving rather than his normal shout or ear piercing whistles but as soon as he had quiet attendance he gave them his opinion... which was the same as giving them their orders.

"Abby" he began "Tony doesn't need you to show your support" His hand once again stilled any comeback and he began to wonder whether he had needed to practice his stern glare all these years . "The same goes for all of you... us. Tony already knows that you support him as individuals. He's an excellent judge of people. He's just a lousy judge of his own self worth."

"So what does he need Gibbs?" Just a few months ago Ziva would have argued about her partner's lack of self esteem but she had learned a lot about her team mates since she committed herself to them and didn't doubt for a minute that Gibbs was correct.

"He needs to know that the team has his back. McGee was part of the team and we all know Tony, he'll be doubting whether he'll outweigh McGee in our loyalties."

"How can he think for even a moment that we would want anything to do with that... that Benedict Arnold... that ball of degraded DNA slime... that miserable epithelial shedding reptile... that..."

"Think they got the point Abs."

All heads turned to the supposedly slumbering form on the sofa only to find a wide awake Tony sporting a delicate blush and a wry look.

"You okay son?" Jackson was the first to recover his power of speech although he had doubts that his son had been fooled for even a second. It was a pretty good way of convincing a stubborn surrogate son of something he would never believe in a reasoned argument.

"No" Tony decided quickly that the level of caring and worry that he had been privy to deserved nothing less than the truth. "But I think I will be."

They all breathed a sigh of relief. None of them thought for a minute that Tony was talking about his physical wellbeing, as important as that was. They had already come to terms during those initial fraught days at the hospital that if Tony were to be permanently damaged it would make no difference to their treatment of him and his steady improvement since had reassured them that that scenario was no longer a threat. But to hear Tony talking positively, if a little hesitantly, about his mental recovery was a weight off their collective shoulders.

Not wanting to lose the moment Abby immediately set about cementing this new positive attitude; after all she knew Tony better than just about anyone except Gibbs and so she was aware of how mercurial his moods could be.

"I think this calls for a celebration! It's party time!" Abby caught Gibbs cautionary look and held her thumb and index finger aloft stretched into a small gap. She added, "just a little one". Gibbs eyebrow rose and Abby closed the gap further "Very little?" Seeing the smile sneak through the Gibbs glare she squealed and began to order her troops who obeyed without question. Gibbs had a sudden vision of gunnery sergeant Scuito and shuddered. The Marines had a lucky escape there.

Tony was about to tell Abby no, that he didn't really feel ready for that level of happiness, that he wasn't worth the trouble when a soft voice whispered in his ear.

"They need this and you need this. Let them show they care. They've been worried for a long time now and they feel as betrayed by McGee as you do... because they love you, idiot" Gibbs added the last before Tony could even voice the question. He knew his boy.

"Yes Boss." Tony felt a warmth and hope begin to build that he hadn't reckoned on ever feeling again. He still wasn't as sure as Gibbs seemed to be about the others feelings towards him but he was willing to take a gamble. He listened as Abby put Jimmy in charge of her hastily scribbled shopping list and Ziva in charge of transportation... maybe it was a bigger gamble than he had thought!

N*C*I*S

Gibbs clutched the folder tighter than he normally would as he climbed the stairs to the NCIS Director's office. Not because he feared it would be snatched away but it was a way to channel the anger he was feeling and yes, the fear. Just because he didn't show it didn't mean he was never scared. He was actually scared a lot of the time, it was what gave him his edge but he hated it when he was scared for someone else, where he had so little power to control the outcome. He really hated that and he really hated the person who had made this situation inevitable. The person on the other side of the door he was facing.

Director Vance. Gibbs stood for a moment to compose himself. It was no use going in all guns blazing. That might have worked with Jenny because she knew the real reasons that he got angry and it would never have happened if Morrow had still been in charge because he would never have put everyone in this situation for the sake of his own ambitions. But he had to remind himself that Vance wasn't one of the criminals he was charged with putting away. Yes he had made some wrong decisions for selfish reasons and he had cut some corners with the rules and regulations but then who hadn't, though he would hope that his own reasons were a little more altruistic... mostly.

Noticing that at least three passers by had given him some very odd looks as he stood in front of the closed door Gibbs shook off his inner dialogue and entered... without knocking of course. He DID have a reputation to maintain.

"Special Agent Gibbs" Cynthia, the Director's P.A., or last bastion of defence as Vance liked to think of her as, spluttered. For some reason, as much as she liked and admired the agent he scared the living daylights out of her. "I...I'm afraid that I don't seem to have an appointment listed for..." She looked up from her diary just in time to see the straight, broad back disappear through the door of Vance's inner sanctum. She immediately pushed her intercom button.

"I'm sorry Director, I couldn't stop..."

"That's fine Cynthia... hold all calls 'til further notice please."

Vance sat back in his extremely comfortable and custom built chair and waited for Gibbs to continue. It had taken one word, McGee, to persuade the Director to hold all calls. In truth he had been expecting a showdown over this and had known that it was just a matter of time. On the bright side he doubted that Gibbs would have gotten around to attacking him if DiNozzo's condition hadn't improved substantially. He may have his issues with the irreverent and annoying Italian but he had never wished him harm.

Gibbs noted that he hadn't been asked to sit... so he sat anyway. He searched the distinguished dark face before him for any hint of knowledge about McGee's perfidy but, as he expected, found none. If he had then he wouldn't be explaining the situation with his words but rather his fists. He set the file of evidence that his team had gathered on the polished mahogany desk and smoothly pushed it over to lay in front of the man who, if he had done HIS job correctly should have already been aware of it's contents.

Vance didn't immediately open the buff clored file, instead he tapped it with a single finger and looked expectantly at his Agent.

Gibbs couldn't help but think he'd gotten stuck in a silent movie and was waiting for some piano music and the keystone cops to charge through the door. Enough was enough.

"Cut the crap and just read it Leon."

Vance was surprised at the level of sadness and fatigue in the normally bright and alert blue eyes. Fatigue he could understand, after all his senior field agent and almost son had nearly died, but the sadness... and although it was better hidden, rage? Vance could have argued his subordinate daring to give him orders but something about that look compared with the sheer innocuousness of the file before him made him hold his tongue. He opened the file.

A few minutes later he looked up at Gibbs who hadn't so much as moved a muscle. Anyone who claimed that a black man could not go pale would have had the lie proved by Vance's complexion.

Vance was as much a politician as he was an officer of the law and that part of him was busy running through everything he had said and done and attempting to come up with a plan to minimize the damage to his career. However politician wasn't all he was or even the greatest part of who he was. He was also a dedicated federal agent and a devoted husband and father and both of those sides of him were claiming their share of the attention. He looked down once again at the photo of the wrecked car clutched in his grasp and wondered how the hell anyone had gotten out alive. It brought home to him just how close a call this had been. And that DiNozzo had pulled McGee out of the wreck only to be betrayed so ruthlessly... had he contributed to McGee's cold ambition? Was his own really like that? Would he betray those he loved for personal advancement? God he hoped not! He noticed that a lot of the evidence had been obtained without official permission. He could easily dismiss this with a threat of action against Gibbs and his team. But he wouldn't and Gibbs knew that. They both knew whose fault it was that those illicit actions were necessary. If he hadn't tried to make things easier on his protege in the first place none of this would have happened... or at least not now. But if McGee could do this to his team what might he have done further down the line, maybe even to him or Jackie and the kids.

Jackie. She had already torn him off a strip at home once she had heard of his attitude to 'poor Tony'. For some reason... well probably because he had saved the lives of their children, a fact that he himself liked to try and forget because it irked him to be beholden to a man he... Vance stopped before his usual attitude took control. Maybe it was time to face some cold hard facts about his own limitations and start listening to the opinions of others instead. Of course it hadn't escaped his notice that so far Gibbs hadn't expressed any opinion at all so far... well not in words anyway. On the other hand if body language could speak it would be swearing like a... well a Marine right now. It would be pummelling him into oblivion.

"Well say it Gibbs... you know you want to" Vance looked back down at the pictures of the injuries sustained by the two agents and the tell tale seatbelt bruising. "And you know I deserve to hear it."

Gibbs shrugged. "I reckon you've spent the past five minutes saying everything I could say to yourself. I would say that there's no point in beating yourself up over it, that what's done is done" Gibbs paused and his features hardened even more before he continued, leaning forward across the desk to invade Vance's personal space. "But we both know that isn't true don't we Leon?"

Leon Vance was suddenly reminded just how dangerous a man this was. But he couldn't argue. He didn't want to argue. He just wanted to turn time back and make some different decisions. He wanted to look into Timothy McGee's eyes and see the truth that he had been blinded to before. He couldn't even blame McGee for outwitting him. The man wasn't that good an actor. If anyone had fooled him it had been his own ego. But that didn't mean that the computer geek with ambitions to his own chair didn't carry the major share of the blame. He may not be able to put the blame for his own ambition onto Gibbs' agent and he would have to pay a price for that hubris. But the trauma that Anthony DiNozzo had been put through... that was all down to McGee and for that he would have to pay his own heavy price.

Vance felt his political dreams die as he contemplated the evidence once again but he somehow felt cleaner for it. Knowing that his wife and children would look at him with pride and his most respected agent would once again regard him with only mild irritation - which was as good as any boss would get with Gibbs. To know that he would be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience... losing his place in Washington's elite, even losing his job if it came to that (though that little part of him that was committed to protecting his career, at least as far as it could, was working to ensure that scenario never came to pass... and it would succeed; without a doubt, because he was a good politician. Just maybe, maybe, he was a better man.) would be worth feeling clean again.

The delay had been long since Gibbs had asked his not so rhetorical question but Gibbs could be patient when needed and he already knew the answer anyway. Vance may be a bit of a prick but he wasn't the villain here. Besides, he liked Jackie and the kids and more importantly so did Tony and he felt he owed it to them and his surrogate son not to kill their husband and father.

"Yes Jethro, we both know the truth." Vance was aware that there was more than one meaning in his reply. They both knew that wrongs needed to be publicly righted and they both knew that Gibbs had the power to destroy his career. As far as McGee was concerned Vance wouldn't be played like a patsy. McGee no longer had a future path to the director's chair; whatever he did have would very much depend on Gibbs and DiNozzo. "What do you want me to do?"

Gibbs hesitated. He could destroy Vance with a word, or rather have him destroy himself with a word. But did he want to? Part of him did, that was certain; nobody hurt his boy without consequences, but he had a strong feeling that deep down Vance was an honorable man and would provide his own punishment. To best the Director might give him short term satisfaction but Vance was the one with the power to deal with McGee... and that was his priority. Vance had given into his own desires at the expense of Tony's justice but he had never presumed that McGee had been lying, none of them had. He couldn't blame the director for not seeing what none of them had seen. He wished he could talk this over with Tony but after he had taken the still quite fragile agent aside at the house and shown him the evidence that had been collected he had been left in no doubt that Tony didn't want to be the one to deal with the director and he couldn't blame him. Tony had taken the information very well and seemed more touched by the lengths that the others had gone to for him than he was upset by McGee's actions but he had enough on his plate right now so the decision was his and his alone. He just hoped that Tony would approve... but then Tony was nicer than he was so by now he would probably have been comforting the director and telling him not to worry!

"I want you to personally apologise to Tony for your part in this. I want every resource that NCIS has at it's disposal to help Tony get back to work... as my Senior Field Agent. And I want McGee off my team. I want him to pay for what he did and if you can't make him pay then I WILL."

Those last words struck Vance like a blow and he almost felt sorry for Timothy McGee... almost, but by now his anger at the traitorous agent was almost as great as Gibbs' own. He would not be made a fool of by one ambitious man and more importantly he would not have his agency discredited by one of it's own. McGee had made an enemy today. The man had wanted to bring himself to the attention of those in positions of influence. Well he had, just not in the way he had hoped.

"You have my word. It may not be worth as much as it was a few weeks ago, but you have it."

Gibbs gave him the hard stare for a while longer while the man fidgeted slightly in his chair. He wondered with a small amount of amusement, if it had occurred to the director that he had just been subjected to the same techniques as Gibbs used on suspects in his interrogation rooms. Probably not. Vance didn't spend much time at the sharp end of the job; was too busy schmoozing the suits upstairs. Finally though Gibbs gave him a small smile and a nod and Vance relaxed slightly only to feel a shiver zing down his spine as, with his hand on the door handle Gibbs casually added.

"Good. I didn't want to have to tell Abby that you'd refused to cooperate. She and Ziva have developed quite the little team of late."

One ex-Mossad assassin who could kill with office stationary and a lab tech who could dispose of a body without leaving a trace... Vance broke into a sweat at the thought and immediately put a call through to his wife. He desperately needed to hear a friendly voice.

"YOU DID WHAT!"

Vance sighed and reached for the extra strength tylenol. This was turning out to be a really bad day.

TBC

A/N Hope you enjoyed and didn't mind me redeeming Vance slightly. I need his authority to deal with McGee. Next chapter should be the last. We see more Tony bonding and McGee gets his just desserts.


	15. Chapter 15

chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Tony, I would not own McGee for all the tea in China and nobody owns Gibbs so that settles that.

A/N Took a while to get here but here we, indeed, are. This is the final chapter and I hope you all like it. There are a couple of reasons this chapter has taken so long (aside from my own less than stellar timekeeping). Firstly I have been playing catch-up with other fics, a delay caused by the lack of writing enthusiasm after the sad passing of my next door neighbour Harold. He was a good friend and made it to 91, not a bad age to get to. He will be sadly missed. Also I didn't want to rush this chapter as it has potential to be a disaster! Everyone seems to want something different for McGee, from maiming and death to hugs and forgiveness. Well this falls somewhere in between but I hope that most of you will feel it is the right way to go. And just like a domino effect all the delays took me into final course essay territory and as important as this is Shakespeare had to come first (4000 words and each one like pulling teeth - honestly I didn't even put myself through this even when I was at school!) Anyway, on with the show.

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McGee couldn't deny that he was a little nervous about tonight. It would be the first time he'd seen Tony since what he liked to term 'the visit'. The difference being that this time they would not be alone. The whole team would be there. He wondered how Tony was handling this; wondered just what kind of excuses he'd given Gibbs to explain why he'd kept his 'probie' at arms length these last few days because he must have said something, although not anything near the truth because he would be a dead probie by now. Gibbs had cast the occasional enigmatic look his way but hadn't cornered him for an explanation as to his lack of presence. McGee shrugged as he automatically checked some routine data on his computer screen, whatever excuse it was that their SFA had given it had obviously worked and that was all that mattered. As long as Tony kept his mouth shut it would all work out and this sudden gathering seemed to be proof that the injured agent was getting better because he certainly hadn't been up to company a couple of weeks ago. Tim shifted in his chair as he felt eyes upon him from above but unlike Gibbs' unsettling and hard to read stares their Director was almost certainly watching his new protege with more positive emotions. Tim liked to think that those emotions included pride. He had tried to make the most of Tony's absence to show his mentor what he had to offer, drawing the focus on himself rather than 'own the room' DiNozzo and he felt that it had worked since Vance had been putting him under intense scrutiny all morning. So confident was he that he had informed his delighted family of his almost certain promotion to Senior Field Agent - his first major step up the ladder. They had been so proud, he could hear it in his mother's voice. At this rate he could be the youngest ever butt to sit in the Director's chair. As he felt the scrutiny fade away he logged off to prepare for the evening's gathering. He would make sure that he was attentive to Tony and be everything a good friend should be, partly because Gibbs radar would throw up a red flag if he didn't and partly because Tony WAS still a friend - even if the Italian didn't agree at the moment - things would go back to normal eventually; Tony didn't bear grudges. Still it wouldn't hurt to drop a reminder into Tony's ear at some point during the evening about what was at stake and who would and would not be believed.

N * C * I * S

Vance finally turned away from the mezzanine rail and headed purposefully back to his office. He had watched McGee working efficiently as normal and it made him grip the railing until his large and capable hands had paled with the force of his anger. It was an anger born of many sources. Anger at McGee for fooling him and anger at himself for being so gullible. Anger at Gibbs for not just shooting McGee and saving him the trouble of finding a workable solution and anger at Jackie, his loyal and loving wife who had made him sleep on the couch with the dog, who hogged the blanket and snored... he never said his anger was entirely rational. But one source of his anger that he had to acknowledge, one that as much as he would like to, he couldn't ignore or deny was the anger he felt at himself for having changed so much from the idealistic young man that his wife would never have dreamed of kicking out of the bed they had shared all these years and at the ambition which had lured him from that idealistic path and that was now doing the same to McGee.

It was at that moment that Vance had an epiphany of sorts. A moment when he finally understood his ambivalent feelings toward DiNozzo. Tony was a realist. He knew the system as well as any seasoned politician or businessman yet he hadn't let it steal his idealism, his unerring belief in justice and honor. It was all the things that Jackie had once been able to see in him. With a sigh Vance put those thoughts aside for now; he would deal with his own shortcomings later, but he would deal with them; he wouldn't let Jackie and the kids down... or Tony, Gibbs and his team. Picking up the phone he began to make a series of calls that would end this unpleasant episode in the life of NCIS. He would leave it to Gibbs to deal with the emotional and personal aspects of McGee's actions. It was their right.

N * I * C * S

McGee finished the call he'd made to his mom as he sat in his car outside Gibbs house. He would be going home to a celebratory party this weekend. It was a little premature but he was running with his instincts on this one and he rated his own gut every bit as highly as everyone else rated Gibbs'. Vance had asked him to come in after the weekend for a meeting. It had to be in order to discuss his promotion to SFA. There was no way that Tony would be fit to return to duty for several weeks if not months... maybe never, although McGee didn't want to see that happen. He was happy for Tony to resume his senior agent duties eventually; Tim only needed to be in the role long enough for Vance to recognize his true potential. SFA might be the less than dizzying height that Tony aspired to but for him it was just a stepping stone. Of course, McGee mused, Vance might have already been impressed enough to promote him beyond field agent level but he doubted it. Gibbs needed a senior agent and Ziva didn't have the experience yet and a stranger wouldn't last five minutes with Gibbs in his present state of mind. McGee sighed as he exited the car. It was no use dwelling on his likely though distant future; for now, at least, he was a part of team Gibbs and even though his hero worship of Gibbs had faded in direct correlation to his growing self-confidence he was still proud to be part of the top team in NCIS... and that would look pretty impressive on his resume.

It was a folly of pride that lasted until he opened the always unlocked front door and entered Gibbs' living room.

N * C * I * S

The impact of the blunt instrument that he would soon come to realise was a rock hard fist was barely felt for a few moments as the shock of the attack took up his every faculty. Feeling returned about the same second as his body ceased it's slide along the hardwood floor. The journey was brought to an abrupt end by the kitchen unit that acted as a substitute wall. In the utter silence of the room that reigned for a few stunned seconds McGee looked up at his attacker who was shaking his sore hand.

"I could swear doing that hurt less when I was in my youth" came the mild comment as McGee, with a shaky and shocked voice queried

"Ducky!"

"That would be Doctor Mallard to you Agent McGee."

"Whoohoo! Go Duckman!" Abby's enthusiastic cry broke the tension for the shocked spectators and soon all those present except for Tony who was confined to the couch and Gibbs who had gone to fetch the first aid kit were gathered round the feisty M.E.

McGee didn't have to ask why Ducky had hit him. He didn't have to ask the others why they weren't defending him.

They knew.

McGee cast a look of pure malice towards Tony who returned it with one of mixed sadness and pity. That made Tim angrier than if Tony had been the one to strike him, but before he could drag himself upright and retaliate against the other agent a voice came from above. Not God but it might as well have been. Gibbs, medical kit in hand and scowl firmly fixed on his features.

"Even think about it and I will shoot you." Gibbs moved past the sitting agent as though on the floor was where he belonged and went over to his old friend who was enjoying the attentions of the younger members of the team. He didn't need to elaborate... McGee knew that his words weren't a threat they were a promise.

McGee was ignored as Ducky gazed down at his mummified hand and pondered whether allowing Abby to minister to him had been a good idea... but she seemed so proud of him he couldn't really refuse and it wasn't as though the appendage was broken.

"I'll fix it up properly later." Gibbs gave Ducky a small smile as he whispered into the Scotsman's ear. It was a smile that quickly faded as he returned his attentions to his agent who was only now dragging his sorry ass up off the floor.

"A...Abby?" McGee homed in on the one person he thought he stood a chance of gaining sympathy from. More than any of the others Abby, despite her famous ability to bear a grudge, was the most forgiving... well other than Ducky, normally anyway. And for all her loyalty to Tony she and he had shared an intimacy that Tony had never achieved with the Goth. Surely that counted for something in all of this. He soon got his answer.

"Don't you 'Abby' me! You snake!..."

"But Abs... you have to understand... "

"Why?"

"Um..." McGee looked confused and glanced around at the hostile faces but he couldn't hold their anger and sorrow filled glares. He turned back to a very unhappy Abby, tears sliding down her cheeks in kohl black rivulets. "Wh...why what Abby? Why did I do it?... I was scared Abby, and I'm only human..." McGee was telling no less than the truth but that small calculating part of him inside was reckoning the odds of his admission of vulnerability triggering Abby's maternal side. Sure of his reading of her character, after all they had dated for a short time so he would understand her better than the others, McGee looked beseechingly into her dark green eyes only to find an implacable hatred that would have made him step back in shock had he not already been pressed up against the kitchen cabinets.

"No McGee, I mean why should I have to understand? I don't understand and I don't want to understand... there is NOTHING to understand. YOU BETRAYED YOUR FAMILY! you betrayed all of us" Jimmy and Ziva closed in on their friend in support but it was the calming touch on her arm from Gibbs that brought her voice back down to a more in control level... not that she felt particularly in control. How could she? She had crawled in the wreckage of the car; she had cried for both of her friends; SHE had been the one to find the evidence of McGee's perfidy. No, she didn't have to understand. More importantly, she didn't want to.

McGee had no answer to that. His mouth opened and shut soundlessly a couple of times and then snapped shut. He had a pretty strong feeling that he wasn't going to be a part of Gibbs' team much longer... perhaps that was for the best. In another team he would find it easier to become a big fish in the pond, easier to make a difference and get noticed. He ignored that part of him that was now buried deeper than he could reach but still cried out to be heard that mourned the loss of what was probably one of the most special things he would ever have in his life. In an effort to drag himself away from that cold and lonely future he noted that Palmer was looking quite at home.

"Got in there quick didn't you Jimmy? Heard there was a vacancy on Team Gibbs?... decided to switch to the other side of the autopsy table did you? Agent Palmer is it?" Even Tim hated himself for the snide tone but he was being pushed beyond his limits and was reacting instinctively now.

Gibbs pulled back harder on the black clad arm he still held. Each of them needed to have their own confrontation with their former friend and while a part of him, too, wanted to step in and defend the gentle trainee M.E. just like Abby he also knew that it was something Jimmy needed to do for himself. Of course not being the confrontational sort Palmer might still need help and Gibbs idly thought, as he kept a careful eye on Tony who seemed to be trying to disappear into the couch, that he would set the females on the team loose on McGee - they were, quite literally in this case, more deadly than the male! But Palmer didn't need any help.

Jimmy Palmer was not fond of confrontation but there were some occasions when it couldn't be avoided. A childhood filled with those bigger, stronger and cooler than him had made that very clear. But he would never have thought that McGee would be a bully. The man should know better having been bullied himself when he was a kid. Jimmy also noted with amusement that given his experience Tim should be better at it. He exchanged looks with Tony and was concerned to see the worry on the tired and pain filled face... worry for him. He knew that if he couldn't deal with this, preferably, though regretfully, without violence then Tony would jump in to defend him and that wouldn't do at all... Ducky would kill him!

"I'm not like you McGee. I'm happy doing what I'm doing."

"What! mopping up blood, fetching and carrying and filling out forms while Ducky does all the important stuff?"

Ducky desperately wanted to intervene on his protege's behalf but he held his tongue. He knew more than most that Palmer wasn't the push over some thought.

"No, I'm not happy doing that... no apprentice wants to do the dogsbody work, but everyone does. It's a part of the learning process and anyway it's not all I do. It's me that comforts the bereaved, it's me that makes sure that Ducky has everything he needs to provide answers for them about how their loved ones died. And I learn... every day I learn something new. Something that one day will make me as good a doctor as Ducky... you never know, one day me and Tony might be the new Gibbs and Ducky" He blushed at the chuckles that garnered and at the looks of pride, but it was the nod from Gibbs, the smile from Tony and the "I don't doubt it" from his mentor that filled him with a warm glow of satisfaction. A warmth that could not be extinguished by McGee's acerbic,

" That all your ambition runs to Jimmy? Tony's sidekick?"

"My ambition is to be the best M.E. I can, to be a credit to NCIS, to be a valued colleague and to make both my families proud of me."

McGee flushed in embarrassment as Jimmy's words made his own ambitions seem somehow mercenary but his anger grew at the pride in the others eyes... Jackson had even ruffled his hair... Jackson had never ruffled HIS hair.

Ziva stepped forward. She figured that it was about time for her turn. Taking turns hadn't been a plan decided on beforehand but had grown naturally from the situation. Still, however it had happened it suited her intentions.

Ziva approached Tim with all the grace and power of a panther. Just that, she noted with professional satisfaction, was enough to make the traitor's skin pale and his Adam's apple bob in a convulsive swallow of fear. For a moment she said nothing and then with the speed and shock factor of a striking cobra she made a spitting gesture at his feet. Of course she didn't actually spit because this was Gibbs house and she had been brought up with manners, but the point was made. She then leaned forward and muttered something in Hebrew that McGee was sure he would never have the courage to translate but suspected might be some sort of curse, before switching to English.

"When I first came to NCIS I did not think much of Anthony DiNozzo" she shot Tony an apologetic smile which was met with a wink of understanding. Turning back to McGee she continued. "I thought that he was a playboy and a slacker. I thought that you were very smart and although rather too innocent for your own good that you were a future leader. Someone to learn from... I was wrong. You are not fit to polish Tony's shoes let alone walk a mile in them. You remind me of my father's lackeys, each desperate to please while preparing to stab him in the back given the best opportunity. Tony has something that you will never have, something you can never comprehend..." She paused for dramatic impact and ignored the soft words coming from the sofa that sounded suspiciously like 'a hairy butt'

"What?" Tim had gone from pale to red at Ziva's words and actions and if a part of him noted that for once she had made no idiomatic mistakes the rest of him just wanted to know how such a smart woman could think that he lacked some quality that DiNozzo possessed. After all the lead agent looked happy enough to sit back and let the women fight his battles for him. Yet when the answer came not one iota of him could gainsay her damning accusation. He just comforted himself that such a trait was a hinderance in the world he wanted to join... he would see it as a strength rather than the weakness that the others saw in him.

"Loyalty McGee. Tony is loyal. To his family, to his friends and to his team." Ziva shook her head sadly as she witnessed the hardening of McGee's gaze. He was lost to them. She should have used her bowie knife on him, it would have been kinder in the long run.

"Oh McGee is loyal Ziva. Loyal to McGee."

All in the room looked to Tony at that and then Gibbs and Jimmy dashed forward at the obvious intention of the Italian to rise to his feet. Normally Ducky would advise against it while Gibbs would just push him back down with a headslap and a 'DiNozzo!' but they knew that he needed to do this, to confront McGee on equal terms, even if the crutches did take some of the impact out of it.

"There's nothing wrong with knowing your self worth Tony... maybe if you did you would have made Gibbs position by now, or maybe even Director." McGee couldn't hide the slight smirk at that. He obviously thought the directorship beyond the frat boy agent.

Tony ignored the jibe, he'd had far worse in his time. But the smirk made him angry.

"Your definition of self worth is something I would be ashamed to admit to McGee. You think that putting yourself before your friends is self worth? Try selfish. You think that lying, cheating and betraying both your friends and your position for personal gain are worthy? Try worthless... that's what you are Timothy McGee... worthless." Though his words were ones of anger Tony couldn't help the tremble of hurt leaking through. "It makes me shudder every time I think of how many times I sent you out with Ziva trusting you to watch her six... or to back up Gibbs when I couldn't. I trusted you implicitly. When I lay in that hospital bed I spent hours and hours trying to figure out how I let you down, how I caused YOU pain. Why McGee?... and don't give me that 'I was scared of what Gibbs would do' " he added quickly as McGee opened his mouth to no doubt make the usual excuse. "Gibbs may be scary but he's fair and he looks after his own. YOU KNOW THAT AND STILL YOU LIED. Was a mahogany desk and people calling you Sir worth it? " His voice dipped from an impassioned cry to a confused plea.

"Tony." Gibbs word was quiet and controlled but it's tone commanded instant attention.

"Boss?"

"Come on Tony, sit back down, figure that's enough exercise for one day...Duck?" As Jackson moved forward to assist an unprotesting Tony back onto the couch Gibbs called for the assistance of their medic who was already organizing a sedative and a hot sweet drink.

As soon as Tony was sitting and Ducky had given him the okay Gibbs switched his attention to the man he hoped he would soon never have to set eyes on again. He smiled a cold little smile, one that he knew he usually reserved for the interrogation room and stalked toward the apprehensive agent... nah, he amended, the terrified agent. Good.

"You know you'll never work with my team again don't you?" Gibbs wasn't expecting an answer so he didn't wait for one. "I took a chance on you. I was ready to blame myself for expecting too much from you in the field. While I had every confidence in your computer skills I wasn't so sure of your backbone... but Tony was. It was Tony who made you into a good field agent, not me. It was Tony I had to admit my misjudgement to, not that I apologised." More than one snort met that denial.

"And now you think he was wrong and you were right." McGee was confused. He had expected fists and fury or conversely, stony silence... and violence. This conversational tone was unsettling to say the least although the fury was barely held in check. McGee chose to interpret what he didn't understand as a weakness on Gibbs part. After all the man may be phenomenal as a fed but he didn't do being human that well. He was obviously out of his depth and although Gibbs shouldn't be underestimated McGee felt emboldened and added.

"Is the great and mighty Gibbs admitting that his 'special' agent has feet of clay?"

"No McGee, Tony was right, you did make a good field agent."

"T...Then what...?" Now McGee was really confused. He didn't get this at all but everyone else seemed to if the tension in the room was any indication.

" You made a good field agent but your ambition made you a lousy friend and a dangerous colleague. It made you a liability. I would have forgiven you for lying about the accident... eventually. I might have even admired your courage in admitting that you were at fault... but you don't have any courage McGee. People with an eye on the prize can't afford courage because that means taking risks, making mistakes, being a friend. Can't be loyal to someone you might have to stab in the back sometime down the road.

Gibbs glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes ago Vance was due to sign the papers that severed his team's connection with McGee and just two minutes ago Ziva had given him the signal that she had received a confirmation text.

Timothy McGee was, although still an agent for now, no longer on his team.

"Get out of my house McGee, before I throw you out... and I will." Gibbs turned away and walked over to a pale but okay looking Tony. He sat on the couch arm and didn't even glance in Tim's direction.

"Y...You can't..." McGee heard the change of tone. What had been cold anger had become icy dismissal. He hated that more than anything. He suddenly understood what being cut dead meant. He looked to the others for support or even acknowledgement but as one they all moved behind the sofa almost forming an honor guard for DiNozzo who after one last sorrowful gaze at his former friend turned to Abby and swatted her playfully as she tried to insinuate Bert under his pillow.

As the others joined in the banter McGee felt the first stirrings of loneliness, which was silly because he had a proper family, a family by blood. But nevertheless, the severing of his ties with the team hurt physically and emotionally, more so than he had imagined. He left the house un-noticed and unlamented, or at least that was how it seemed to him as he returned to his car, looking back at the warm and once welcoming lights in the house where the door was never locked. He suspected that lock or no lock he would never gain admittance again.

Back inside the house the conversation flowed until the sound of McGee's engine was heard to fade into the distance. Then Abby burst into tears and Ziva stormed out back to throw her knives at a permissible target, the trees. Ducky finally felt the pain from his not-quite-broken hand and allowed a trembling Jimmy to redress it for him. He had never felt so old as he did at this moment. Jimmy, on the other hand, felt as confused and hurt as he had at school when he was eight and he couldn't figure out why his friend Marcus would have suddenly turned on him.

Tony hugged Abby as best he could without further injuring his ribs and if a few tears carrying DiNozzo DNA mingled with hers then who would ever know.

"You're gonna be okay Tony, Abby, all of us... we're all gonna be okay."

Of course Gibbs would know! A warm smile from Tony and an inelegant snort from Abby lightened the atmosphere enough that when Ziva stormed in complaining loudly that she had gotten her best knife stuck in his "stupid green coiffure" they all cried as one,

"CONIFER"

Jackson Gibbs had left the team to re-bond while he made his special hot chocolate... minus his 'special ingredient' for Tony who was still on meds. He brought the tray in and handed the mugs round before calling for a toast.

"To Tony and Team Gibbs... whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" At the incredulous looks he shrugged and added "Well it may be a cliche but that don't mean it ain't true.

They laughed and raised their mugs.

"To Tony, To Team Gibbs" they all looked to Jackson and added "To family"

With that they all knew without a doubt that they would, indeed, be okay.

EPILOGUE

It had been more than twenty-four hours since McGee's ordeal, as he liked to think of it, at Gibbs' house and he would have to admit that he had begun to feel the separation keenly. Thankfully before he could become too self critical, which wouldn't do his self esteem any good and believing in yourself was half the battle to success, he had received a message from the Director to go in for a meeting, that the original meeting had been brought forward. He had already received written confirmation that his place was no longer with Gibbs team so this must be something different... something better.

"McGee to see Director Vance." He didn't miss the coldness in the curt good morning just like he hadn't missed it from the security guards who had delayed him on his entry by checking his ID even though they knew full well who he was, or the man who had managed to run over his foot with his mail cart. Maybe he should ask Vance for a transfer... perhaps California, it would give him some great ideas for his next novel.

"Sit down Agent McGee."

McGee had to admit that he was a little put off by Vance's tone of voice but he couldn't blame the man, he HAD let him down after all. He was just lucky that Vance appreciated his skills and wouldn't do anything too rash. After all Vance had his own ambitions to protect and washing your dirty laundry in public wasn't the way to do it.

"I'm sorry I let you down sir. I've learnt from my mistakes and we both know that if Tony hadn't..." McGee attempted to get his apology in before it was demanded.

"Shut up."

"Sir!"

"Until you find yourself sitting in this chair McGee you will do as you are told. I told you to sit; I didn't tell you to talk. Oh and incidently, that is one place you will never be."

"I... I don't understand..." And he didn't. This wasn't going the way he had envisioned at all. And what did he mean by that last comment?

"This chair McGee. Do you honestly think that you can lie, sign a false statement and tamper with evidence without consequences? Politics may be a dirty business and the politics of NCIS is no exception even if it is a paler shade of grey than up on the hill, but once you've been caught that's it. Director? You'll be lucky to get a civilian desk job in this town without decent references."

"But I'm a sp..."

"What you are, McGee, is about to hand me your resignation... the one that coincidently happens to have already been typed out for you."

Vance pushed a piece of paper over the desk but McGee barely acknowledged it. He rose to his feet and leaned across the desk. From Gibbs it would have been intimidating but Vance wasn't feeling scared he was feeling, more than anything, pity. He couldn't help but think that 'there but by the grace of God go I'

"You can't do this!" McGee was beyond shock. How had this all gone down the toilet so quickly? But hang on a minute his inner schemer thought, he CAN'T do this, not without incriminating himself. He told Vance as much and then sat down confidant that he had turned things around.

" These your true colors McGee?" Well so much for the pity. Vance became all business.

"You WILL sign this McGee because if you don't we will both go down... and while I was guilty of not investigating a potential crime properly and would lose my job you... YOU McGee will go to jail... not a nice place for a Fed to be. And fed is all they'll see, they won't give you brownie points for being Navy "

McGee wasn't stupid; he knew when he was beaten. He read the politely worded document and signed it.

"What about references?" He wished he could have modulated his sullen tone but it was never meant to end like this. Vance was meant to choose him., not Tony. Without any further reason to be circumspect he added those thoughts out loud.

"People like you and me, McGee, we're ten a penny. But it's the likes of Gibbs and DiNozzo that make the real difference in this world. I'd be a fool to choose us over them; I'd be worse than a fool to do such an injustice to the country we both serve... or in your case served" he took the resignation letter back with regret and relief. It would have gotten messy if it had gone out into the public arena. Then remembering McGee's original query he added.

"I can't in all honesty recommend you for any position in law enforcement... but if the job is purely civilian or in government then I won't scupper your chances. Everyone deserves a second chance - just not at the expense of public safety. I hope you learn from this McGee. It's only thanks to Tony that you're not under arrest and facing worse than the unemployment line... you could think of it as a new start, although I hear that FLETC are looking for civilian computer techs if that's any use?" The insult had not been overt but Tim had understood the put down perfectly.

McGee left without a word. His personal property awaited him in the outer office alongside a security guard who was ready to escort him from the premises.

It didn't seem like a new start but rather a painful, ignominious end... and he still had to break the news to his family, the family who were at this moment planning a celebration for a success that had turned into a tragedy. Maybe, he wondered as he drove out the gates for the last time, he could tell his family that he had been offered the SFA post but had decided to search in pastures new... perhaps politics. He could spin it so that he looked quite brave... and it was only a little lie...

FIN

A/N Well hope you enjoyed. Hope it wasn't too long for you. I really enjoyed writing this story and I want to thank you all for both your patience (goodness knows you needed it! ) and your tolerance in my exploring the idea of bad!Tim. I will be doing a NCIS crossover with the Magnificent 7 at some point but I've got other stories to complete first and I'd like to get a few chapters under my belt before publishing. Until then, all the best,

Laura


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